WWE Now - "I'm picking you because I hate you!" Roman Reigns vs. CM Punk at WrestleMania | Raw Recap

3 Feb 2026 · 1 h 6 min · 25 chapters

Ask about this episode

Ask anything about it. ChatGPT or Claude reads this page and answers with the times it was said.

Connect VO and ask about every podcast you hear, including the moments you saved. Add to ChatGPT · Add to Claude

In short

Podcast Summary: What's Your Story? with Steph McMahon

Episode

WWE Now - "I'm picking you because I hate you!" Roman Reigns vs. CM Punk at WrestleMania | Raw Recap

Episode Overview In this episode of "WWE Now," hosts Sam Roberts and Megan Morant recap a thrilling Monday Night Raw, the first on the road to WrestleMania. The episode covers major events including Roman Reigns challenging CM Punk for the World Heavyweight Championship and the debut of wrestler Je'Von Evans.

Key Topics Discussed

Roman Reigns vs. CM Punk

  • Royal Rumble Winner: Roman Reigns, after winning the Royal Rumble, makes his intentions clear by challenging CM Punk.
  • Fan Reactions: The Philadelphia crowd's enthusiastic response highlights Reigns and Punk’s immense popularity.
  • Historical Context: The hosts reflect on the history between Reigns and Punk, including how Punk had a hand in bringing The Shield to WWE.

Dynamic Between Reigns and Punk

  • Philosophical Differences: Reigns and Punk have starkly different approaches to their wrestling careers, which adds depth to their rivalry.
  • CM Punk's Promos: Punk’s confident promos resonate with fans, reinforcing his reputation as the "Best in the World."
  • Personal History: Reigns’ remarks about Punk's past and their intertwined careers create a personal stake in their upcoming match.

WrestleMania Build-Up

  • High Stakes: Reigns expresses he is picking Punk to fight not just for the title but out of personal disdain, intensifying the feud.
  • Long-Term Storytelling: The conversation emphasizes the importance of long-term storytelling in WWE and how it culminates at events like WrestleMania.

Je'Von Evans' Debut

  • Excitement and Soreness: Evans shares his excitement about debuting at the Royal Rumble and the challenges he faces as a new wrestler.
  • Embracing the Fans: He discusses his connection with fans and the thrill of being part of WWE.

Additional Highlights

  • LA Knight's Performance: The episode touches on LA Knight's accomplishments and his growing popularity among fans.
  • Paul Heyman's Role: Discussion about Heyman’s influence in WWE and the chaos surrounding various storylines.
  • Wrestling Industry Commentary: Insights into the emotional stakes involved in wrestling, comparing it to past eras of WWE.

Conclusion This episode of "WWE Now" encapsulates the excitement of the current WWE landscape as it builds towards WrestleMania, focusing on personal rivalries and the journeys of both established and new wrestlers. The dynamic discussions between the hosts and their guests highlight the storytelling element that makes WWE compelling.

Key Takeaways

  • The Roman Reigns vs. CM Punk feud is deeply rooted in personal history and philosophical differences.
  • Je'Von Evans showcases the struggles and excitement of entering the WWE spotlight.
  • The importance of storytelling and character development is emphasized as WWE progresses toward WrestleMania.

Listen to the full episode for an in-depth analysis of these exciting developments in the WWE universe!

Written by AI. May contain mistakes. Listen to the episode to check what was said.

Chapters

Tap a time to open that second in VO

Roman Reigns' Return

0:45 to 2:52

Discussion about Roman Reigns' comeback and fan reactions in Philadelphia.

“And Megan, you know exactly where I want to start.”

CM Punk's Anticipation

2:52 to 5:04

Exploring the potential confrontation between Roman Reigns and CM Punk.

“You didn't know which direction Roman was going to go in because cult of personality starts playing.”

Contrasting Career Paths

5:04 to 8:13

Analyzing the different career trajectories of Roman Reigns and CM Punk.

“how they go about things in totally different ways.”

The Build-Up to WrestleMania

8:13 to 12:29

In-depth analysis of the storyline leading to WrestleMania involving Roman and Punk.

“But Roman goes, that doesn't mean you get a pass.”

Tension and Stakes

12:29 to 14:05

Discussion on the rising tension and stakes between Roman Reigns and CM Punk.

“That's the Roman that we've been missing.”

Analyzing the Stakes in Roman Reigns vs. CM Punk

14:05 to 15:21

Explore the escalating tension and narrative depth in the Reigns-Punk rivalry.

“I'm going to go back and watch it multiple times.”

Paul Heyman's Role in the Wrestling Landscape

17:43 to 24:10

Discuss Paul Heyman's influence on the storylines involving Roman Reigns and Braun Breaker.

“Maybe he lit that initial match by putting Roman Reigns and CM Punk together in that War Games shark cage a couple of years ago.”

The Collapse of the Vision

24:10 to 28:00

Examine the disintegration of the Vision faction and its implications.

“Like, that was an old Seth Rollins thing.”

Celebrating AJ Styles' Career

28:00 to 28:38

Discussion about AJ Styles' career and recent events in WWE.

“We did not see him, although we saw Gunther come out to that music.”

Introducing Javon Evans

29:02 to 29:58

Introduction of guest Javon Evans and discussion about his recent matches.

“It's available at WWE Shop and Fanatics.”
Show all 25 chapters

Javon Evans' Experience in WWE

29:58 to 31:16

Javon shares his feelings about his recent matches and fan interactions.

“And I feel like you're also going nonstop.”

Memorable Moments in the Royal Rumble

31:16 to 32:54

Discussion about the significance of the Royal Rumble and memorable interactions.

“I mean, what's it like for you when you get into the Royal Rumble?”

Facing Challenges in the Ring

32:54 to 35:38

Javon reflects on challenges faced during matches and the importance of resilience.

“Now I have to ask, Sam told me earlier that 6-7's done.”

Gratefulness and Future Goals

35:38 to 37:24

Javon expresses gratitude for his wrestling journey and discusses future aspirations.

“But I'm sure that when the butterflies stopped floating around your head and you figured out where you were, I mean, you're on the RKO highlight reel now.”

Aiming for WrestleMania Dreams

37:24 to 42:00

Javon shares his ambitions to compete at WrestleMania and break records.

“And as someone who grew up a wrestling fan, you were talking earlier how you were up way in the stands.”

Chasing Titles: The Youngest Champion

42:00 to 43:38

Discussion about the goal of becoming the youngest world heavyweight champion.

“and one of those goals is to beat Randy Orton's record.”

Obafemi's Unbelievable Entrance

45:05 to 48:54

Analysis of Obafemi's surprising dominance over the War Raiders.

“While we're on the topic of Topps, real quick, I also want to tell you that there may be six more weeks of winter because of that fool of a groundhog who I've never trusted anyway.”

Debating General Manager Decisions

48:54 to 50:28

A discussion on Adam Pearce's management style and its effectiveness.

“but after that performance by Obafemi, you got to give that man whatever he wants to put him on your show.”

Gunther's Dominance and AJ Styles' Future

50:28 to 54:18

A look at Gunther's impact on AJ Styles and the tension created in the ring.

“Gunther was an absolute savage tonight on Monday Night Raw.”

The Impact of Gunther on the Roster

54:18 to 56:01

Discussion on Gunther's career-ending potential for other wrestlers.

“got him to the outside and everything but it was just like so much vigor and you can't again Man, emotion, emotion, emotion, emotion, emotion.”

Guter's Dominance in WWE

56:01 to 56:40

Discussion about Guter's impact in WWE and his potential threat to opponents.

“because he's gonna retire him yeah we'll just yep yeah that's why I don't want him get him out He's going to beat him.”

Dominic Mysterio's Impressive Return

56:41 to 57:30

Analysis of Dominic Mysterio's return to WWE and his new look.

“There was a lot of happiness on Monday Night Raw as well.”

Celebrating Liv Morgan's Win

57:31 to 58:50

Discussion around Liv Morgan's Royal Rumble win and the dynamics with Raquel.

“And you talk to him about this mullet, and he almost says, like, in a braggadocious way.”

Raquel and Liv's Complicated Relationship

58:51 to 1:01:00

Exploration of the tensions between Raquel and Liv following the title matches.

“I don't think Raquel is as forgiving as Liv Morgan thinks that she is.”

Upcoming Matches and WWE Now Recap

1:03:25 to 1:06:09

Preview of upcoming WWE matches and recap of Monday Night Raw.

“I was very excited to see the Bellas back.”
Hear the part that matters, and keep it.Open this episode in VO. Double tap your headphones to save a moment as you listen.
Get VO free

Transcript

Automatic transcript. May contain errors.

0:28What an episode of Monday Night Raw. The first Monday Night Raw on the road to WrestleMania. The first Raw recap in the WWE Now era. Welcome to WWE Now. As we recap Raw with myself, Sam Roberts, with Megan Morant. And Megan, you know exactly where I want to start. Getting hot in here. Oh, my gosh. You're telling me. Wow. You're telling me. Fired up. Roman Reigns pops out of the black SUV wearing, what was that, a Carhartt jacket he was wearing? Just, just, just, just oozing. The chain. The chain was a good chain. Oh, yeah. I think he was wearing that on McAfee's show, too. That black, like, it's like black gold or something like that.

1:17I don't know. It was sparkling. Or maybe that was just Roman. Could be. Because he walks to the ring and boom, boom, boom. Even though you saw him coming, the fans in Philly go nuts. the exact opposite of the reaction that they had almost 11 years ago to the day. And Roman Reigns comes out and he acknowledges that that happened. But he does it in the way that only the most humble, generous, tribal chief possibly could. And he talks about the choice that he's got to make now that Roman Reigns won the Royal Rumble. And by the way, I was worried that he wasn't going to be on Raw at all. Triple H was on the post show After Royal Rumble And he was talking about How Roman could be Dubbed the new cerebral assassin The nickname that Triple H once had That Roman is going to have to go home And think that Roman is calculated That we don't know when Roman's going to be back And I heard you on your podcast He's got a lot of time to think on that flight I said think on the plane We need you And show up at Raw We need you head of the table But that's the thing with Roman Reigns And that's the thing with the tribal chief You don't know when you're going to get him.

2:24Oh, I thought you were going to say he listens to the podcast. I hope he does. And he was sitting there going like, I will think on the plane. I think I got this. You know what? Sam has a good idea. Yeah. Once again, he shows up to Monday Night Raw. He talks about his choices. And Philly made the choice early. Poor Drew McIntyre. By the way, Roman versus Drew McIntyre. Would be phenomenal. It'd be killer. I wanted to see Roman versus CM Punk. I did too. Philly wanted to see Roman versus CM Punk. You didn't know which direction Roman was going to go in because cult of personality starts playing.

2:57And there we have it. Roman Reigns and CM Punk in the ring across from each other. And this isn't CM Punk with his hokas on. Oh, no. He brought the Nikes out for this one and he had an old school CM Punk t-shirt on. It's got to be the shoes. CM Punk stares right in the face of Roman Reigns. And when these guys are staring at each other, I mean, there is so much to kind of process. Are we looking at two guys? When CM Punk first returned to WWE on his third night, his first was War Games when he surprised the world. His second was Monday Night Raw when he said he's not here to make friends. He's here to make money.

3:39But his third was SmackDown when he started calling out people by name. and immediately, the minute he said the tribal chief Roman Reigns, it was like, whoa, these are two icons of the professional wrestling world, but for two extremely separate reasons, two literally of the best in the world, and two people that got there through two completely different philosophies on how this whole thing is done. And now they're looking at each other, and by the way, as you heard tonight, It goes back way further than a couple of years ago when CM Punk first came out. It goes back to when CM Punk was in the WWE a decade before he returned.

4:22When he was responsible for bringing the shield in. When he had things to say about his treatment versus Roman Reigns' treatment after he had left WWE. And we've heard that, man. And we've heard that's been the one thing about CM Punk is that the ghosts of his past still haunt him. And there are a lot of people in the WWE that had their ears wide open while CM Punk was gone. And CM Punk is a different human being now. He's proven that to everybody. But the tribal chief forgets nothing. So you looked at me while CM Punk was talking. I did. And you said he really is the best in the world. Yeah, I mean, CM Punk was, you just laid it out there, how they go about things in totally different ways.

5:09And CM Punk pointed out how Roman Reigns, after his 1 ,316-day title reign, he took a little break. Took some time off. And he deserves it. And CM Punk said, that's how you handle it. But I have been to 10 countries in the last three weeks. and then goes on to shout out all of those countries. And CM Punk is the best in the world, but he's at Raw every single week. And he's up there and he's playing off the crowd in Philadelphia and Philadelphia has responded to CM Punk and I'm sitting in my chair and I'm responding to CM Punk as well. And I'm thinking, nobody's better than this guy. And you look at me and you say, just wait.

5:59Yeah. You said he really is the best. I said, I don't know if he's the best. Because look who he's in the ring with. And Punk is right. Punk has defended the world. He defended the world heavyweight title three times in the first month of this year. Like Punk is about it. And, you know, I knew we were in for something magic. The minute Punk walked in the ring and he started cutting a promo on Finn Balor to the camera, walked right past Roman Reigns. But I mean, we say this word and this word has been missing since our tribal chief left us. But this was a word that we used to throw around in this world of WWE all the time.

6:42But for some reason, we haven't been saying this word while Roman Reigns is gone. And then the minute Roman Reigns comes back, the word pops into my mind when just out of focus. over the left shoulder of CM Punk. You see Roman Reigns looking back with that unmistakable face that you just made, Megan Moran. Cinema. Cinema. Cinema is back. Roman, looking back at CM Punk, who's talking about somebody else going, are you kidding me? Roman says, you interrupted me to talk about Finn Balor. CM Punk, that's when he goes in and he goes, I didn't interrupt you. This is my show. This is my show. And that's when he gets in to everything that you just discussed.

7:27And, you know, to defend CM Punk, it's like when CM Punk came back, he almost immediately got injured. He was on TV. In the Royal Rumble. Every single week. Well, yeah. Yeah. Well, he had a big problem with Drew McIntyre. Huge. Big problem with Drew McIntyre at the time. Yeah, sure. Since CM Punk returned to WWE, when has he not been on our TV screen? That's great. And Roman covered it. You could talk about. I mean, I don't care if he could invent a show and be on that show every week. Touche. Roman covered it. He said, yeah, you've been here the whole time because you took a 10-year vacation.

8:03Yep. And it was like, uh-oh. We're going there. Uh-oh. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. We're not living in this world over the last three years. Yeah. You know what I mean? We're living in the larger. Well, and that's the thing with punk. When we talk about punk, we go, well, he's a different man. And he clearly is. Yes. We love him. But Roman goes, that doesn't mean you get a pass. Because Roman doesn't forget anything. Yeah. Roman, it's all stored up here. And we found that out like firsthand. And Punk brought up a lot of history too. Punk bringing up that, look, there are parallels in this journey.

8:34That Roman had a long title reign with Paul Heyman by his side. But guess what? So did CM Punk. And he did it way before Roman Reigns. And when Roman Reigns' character needed that shift, Paul Heyman was revealed as the man by his side. It's exactly what CM Punk did when he was WWE champion. I personally think that's where the similarities end. I think the bloodline is as unique a story told in the world of professional wrestling as there has ever been. But that said, the story of CM Punk is also as unique a story as has ever been told in professional wrestling. To me, it really cut deep when Roman Reigns said, when you came back a couple years ago at Survivor Series, you know who they came to?

9:18Right, because that's real. because it's real. Yes. It's so real. Roman Reigns is the reason, according to Roman Reigns, that CM Punk had a company to come back to. Maybe. Maybe. And you could make the argument. But, like, there's a lot of reality there. And it is, man, time has a way, dude. Time has a way because the reality is that when Roman Reigns came in with The Shield, The Shield was brought in as CM Punk's backup. The Shield was brought in as an act to be attached to the CM Punk act. And CM Punk was hands-on with the portrayal of the shield. And CM Punk can take credit for that. But all that said, if they really did come to Roman Reigns, and if you look at Unreal, there is stuff that happens on Unreal that like these stories have nothing to do with Cody, but Cody's the man.

10:10So Triple H is gonna go talk to Cody. If this is really happening with Roman Reigns, then guess what? But we've equaled that out too. I imagine they would go to Roman Reigns and talk to Roman Reigns. So where are we going to go next? And Drew was catching stray after stray after stray. They spent a lot of time on Drew McIntyre. And I guarantee you, wait till Friday. Wait till Friday to hear how Drew responds. Before we started recording, I was just going to look on Twitter to see if Drew had released some sort of statement. He's going to have venom. It is going to be a messy road to WrestleMania.

10:47Oh, yeah. It's going to look like the streets in New York City. Just not clean whatsoever. Can't get around anywhere. Messy on this road to WrestleMania. But that's the way we like it. Where it's just like you're hanging on going, wait a second. This is getting uncomfortable because this is getting too real. Well, because it's what? February 2nd today? Yeah. WrestleMania's mid-April? Yeah, I think Michael Cole said 75 days from the time that we're recording this. You got a long way to go. That's a lot of mess to clean up. But Roman looks at CM Punk. And Roman was right when he said that Drew McIntyre is not the easy choice for anyone.

11:28And CM Punk should know that firsthand. He knows it. But he wants to get the shot. Look, I don't think that that animosity is ever going anywhere either. Never. But when Roman goes You are the biggest star But that's not why I'm picking you You are on the biggest show But that's not why I'm picking you You are on Netflix but that's not why I'm picking you And he brings it all up He brings up the podcast Which I was like We're just saying it We're just saying stuff like that on TV He brings it all up And he says I'm picking you Because I hate you and I've always hated you. And you go, oh my God.

12:11And I feel like this is Roman Reigns. You know, I said right after Royal Rumble, I gave that, my first thought was, man, if we can get a real story that we can sink our teeth into out of Roman Reigns, that's the Roman that we want back. That's the Roman that we've been missing. and when he looks at CM Punk and by the way like Paul Heyman gets brought up Drew McIntyre gets brought up all these names get brought up but it just zeros in to Punk and Roman and I think that that's going to bring out the best in both people I think that based on the promo tonight you've already got so much story and and and hatred and venom and reason for a fight packed into this thing that Roman Reigns is going to WrestleMania, not just to become the champion again, and prove to everybody that what he said on the Pat McAfee show was right, but he's going to WrestleMania because he still hates CM Punk.

13:20I listened to that Pat McAfee show interview and wow, it was very tense. And the entire time I was thinking, I wonder what other folks on the roster are going to think of when they hear what Roman Reigns is saying. Yeah. I mean, he threw everybody under the bus. Well, it's up to them. It's up to them. And hearing CM Punk respond to it tonight, this is an ESPN. Roman's in battle mode. I know. Roman is in, I'm main eventing WrestleMania mode. And he didn't say title match at WrestleMania. He said main event. He's going to WrestleMania. Well, that's where Roman Reigns belongs. That's where he lives.

13:58That's where he lives. He's going to WrestleMania to destroy CM Punk. And it was, I mean, unbelievable. I'm going to go back and watch it multiple times. Because there was so much in there. And the stakes just started raising and raising. And at first it was like, oh, they're being kind of like cute, right? Or they're like, oh, this is like it feels familiar. It feels like wrestling. And then when Roman started talking about like him showing punk respect, but punk making a face as Roman walked away, it was like these are little things that have been in the back of Roman's head since they happened.

14:40These are little things that really bothered Roman Reigns, but he knew there would be a time and a place to do this properly. And it's all right there. Just because he hasn't said anything doesn't mean it hasn't always been right there. And now it's the prestige. Aha. Voila. Here it all is right in front of you. And it's been there the whole time. And it looks to just, I mean, explode. Just like you did with that mic flag. At WrestleMania. That's the energy right now. Insane. I loved it. I absolutely loved it. But you know what else I love? What? These Raycons. Oh, I got to pair myself. I love these Raycons.

15:24Let me tell you, the Super Bowl, the Winter Olympics this month, there's no better time to get inspired, push harder, and upgrade your workout routine. When you are training consistently, the right gear makes all of the difference. Look at these Raycons. I mean, I've been using mine. Megan, I know you've been using your Raycon Everyday Earbud Classics when you're running. Yes. And I heard they completely change how you work out. Is that true? Totally. I mean, I can hear the cars coming. Oh, wow. I can listen to my music but still be alert and aware. They're helping me get my training in. I can listen to podcasts like this one while I run.

16:02I can listen to your podcast, do stuff around the house, all while not being interrupted. That's right. Plus, you get great sonic quality, and you get to pick out all the different colors, the ones that match your outfit, the ones that match your vibe. The new colors are awesome. I'm loving Cool Mint. Have you seen Cool Mint? I've seen Cool Mint. Yeah, I hadn't seen earbuds in that shade before, but they feel like an accessory that actually fits me. This guy, Mr. Cool Mint. Mr. Cool Mint is what they've been calling me. And by the way, right now is the perfect time to grab Raycon's Everyday Earbuds because they're 15 % off.

16:42Raycon delivers the same premium audio quality as the big brands, but at half the price. add in over 3 million happy customers and a 30-day happiness guarantee and there's zero reason to overpay. A couple of features that make them my everyday. How about the quick charge function? So fast. You got to love that because you never have a charger. Don't have time to charge. So the fact that, boom, we get them going. How about awareness mode? When you're out, maybe I'm walking the dog. Maybe I'm running some errands. I'm at the grocery store. You can hear what's happening around me while I'm enjoying listening to my own podcasts.

17:21Just so I can hear myself talking about how great Roman Reigns is. I've been using these pretty much every day since I got them. Whether I'm in the gym, out running errands, or just working from home. Getting ready for the podcast. They're part of my daily routine. The Everyday Earbuds Classic are here to help you go for the gold. Go to buyraycon.com slash WWE now Now, to get 15 % off and thank you to Raycon for sponsoring, you know, we were talking about how Paul Heyman came up and how I think that when it comes to CM Punk and Roman Reigns, Paul Heyman has a lot to do foundationally with that story, but very little to do with the current day of the story.

18:08Maybe he lit that initial match by putting Roman Reigns and CM Punk together in that War Games shark cage a couple of years ago. The favor. But in reality, that's right. But in reality, those days are over. And Paul Heyman has, I mean, just a plethora of problems that he's got to deal with on his own. I mean, tonight the show started at 8 o 'clock Eastern time. 8 p.m. Eastern time. By 8.02, Paul Heyman's tie was already completely disheveled. Yeah, and so was the entire announced position on Monday Night Raw. Truly. So without, I mean, I heard then, now, forever, together. And then boom, Braun Breaker's already walking to the ring.

18:52No music, no nothing. Here comes Braun Breaker. I was off getting my dinner. I walked in a half a minute late and I said, what the heck is going on? Where's the music? Havoc had been unleashed already. Corey Graves and Michael Kohler just like, hey, whatever you got to do, you got to do. I'm not getting involved in this again It really is smart, I would have done the exact same thing I mean, the vision comes So Braun Breaker, he flips over the table He's throwing the monitors I heard the crew in there going, those are expensive monitors He's smashing them They're not wrong I know, but I don't think Braun Breaker was price checking Before he went to town on that stuff I mean, he was just destroying everything, right?

19:31And the vision's out there They're trying to stop him as you notice disheveled Paul Heyman is trying to stop him because Paul Heyman is in a state especially after the Royal Rumble uh Paul Heyman cuts a promo who's the Paul Heyman is furious you see like like Logan Paul and Austin Theory and Bronson Reed are all trying to calm down Brawnbreaker and you know when Logan Paul Austin Theory and Bronson Reed are the voices of reason you have passed the point of no return without question i mean this and you see i mean brumbreger was out of control paul hayman gets on that microphone and starts talking about uh how furious he is how they screwed up the royal rumble for them all adam pierce's fault all adam pierce's fault i mean he did bring up a good point that it's hard to believe that adam pierce has no idea who's under the mask he flew all the way to riyadh he's got a new customs I mean, you got to know.

20:29What did he fly commercial? And this dude just showed up? I don't know. Adam Pearce says he has no idea. But as he's talking, Adam Pearce comes out and he says, the good news is that he's going to let Braun Breaker keep his job even after Braun Breaker's quote. And by the way, big man, big, big man to say this quote, behind 15 security guards and those are Philadelphia's finest I've seen that city those are the most muscle-bound men that you can find and Adam Pierce got behind all of them and then he said I'm gonna let you keep your job even after your piss poor performance in the Royal Rumble behind all 15 guys and I go you gotta be kidding and Brom Breaker's furious Yes.

21:25Adam Pearce is without a doubt instigating this. He is poking the bear, except he's using one of those really long, almost cartoonish pokers that he can get through like 19 dudes. And to me, this isn't about poking the bear that's brawn breaker. This is all about Heyman. Making Heyman's life miserable. Of course. Yeah, but. Because listen, we saw Paul Heyman crashing out on the pre-show. Big time. And we heard Adam Pearce say F-A-F-O Oh yeah, and he's still saying it F-A-F-O And what is the score tonight after Monday Night Raw? 2-0 I believe it's Adam Pearce 2 Paul Heyman Absolutely nil Zero 2-0 in the battle of F-A-F-O I mean, I think there is a chart that I've seen on the internet That as you continue to F-A The F-O relationship will rise with it I've seen the same chart Right, right, right I've seen this exact chart.

22:22And you know, it's kind of crazy because as a gambling woman, if you would have told me, hey, you know, you got to place a bet on FAFO, Adam Pearce or Paul Heyman, I would have said, here, my whole life savings on Paul Heyman. On Paul Heyman. But right now he is behind by a lot. And Adam Pearce, even after the phone call he got, even after the Royal Rumble, looks so confident in his FAFO abilities. I don't know what's given him this level of confidence. I don't know if he's got some kind of backing that we don't know about. I don't know if he's got some kind of plan that we don't know about. Because I also think that it is, you're 100 % right, he wants to make Paul Heyman's life miserable for everything that Paul Heyman has ever done to him.

23:03But I also think it is personal against Braun Breaker. You do. Because Adam Pearce is a guy who's been around the block. Don't let the suit fool you. This is a guy who has a competitive beast inside of him. This is a champion. Brom Breaker put his hands on him. That doesn't go away. He's got an issue with Brom Breaker. He's got to let him know who's in charge. And that's why he stacked up 28 dudes in front of him and told Brom Breaker, just started talking wild to Brom Breaker. But then as Brom Breaker is over here trying to figure out how to get through these 37 guys behind him, LA Knight is taking out Vision members and then Braun Breaker is getting really upset because now he's saying over here the emotions are taking over he's over here he just missed his Vision brethren getting beaten up and then he turns back around and of course Adam Pearce has run back into his rat hole or wherever he stays because he's nowhere to be found and he looks at Paul Heyman and goes what are we doing?

24:15what are we doing because up until i don't know two three weeks ago it felt like the vision had a foolproof plan when austin theory was on this podcast not all that long ago he was talking to both of us like we were fools yeah for even suggesting that the vision would have any problem not being on a unified front that we didn't see the vision that we didn't see this, but I'll tell you, going back to my tribal chief, he goes on to ESPN and says, I don't even know why they call the vision the vision. Like, that was an old Seth Rollins thing. This vision needs to change their whole name because it's completely blurred.

24:55There is no there's no there there. And then you turn around and once again, Roman hits the nail on the head. Yeah, the tribal chief has a way of seeing things clearly. And then Brom Breaker Yeah, it's 100%. Bron Breaker gets kicked out of the building. Yeah. In the ring, when he looked at Paul Heyman and said, what are we doing? That wasn't the first time tonight that Bron Breaker was upset with Paul Heyman because later we see Adam Pearce and Paul Heyman backstage. Adam Pearce says that he's removed LA Knight from the building and that Paul Heyman should do the same with Bron Breaker. And Bron Breaker was beyond upset with Paul Heyman.

25:36Yeah, I would be too. Beyond. Like your job is to make sure that we have a plan here. And it's wild because you think back to when the vision came together. And there was that one moment when they were backstage in the visions locker room and Paul Heyman was guiding Braun Breaker and saying, please listen to me. And he was telling him about Brock Lesnar and how Brock Lesnar listened to him and waited for his opportunity. And what did that lead to? And he was he was going through all of the things that he's done. And so it was so interesting to me to see Braun Breaker not even a few months later completely frustrated, flustered, furious.

26:16Guess what? With Paul Heyman. Long-term thinkers are the ones that survive in this business. It's full of long-term thinkers just because something's good right in front of you. It's all very fleeting. It's all very fleeting and we're watching it all. not only does he get thrown out of the building, but then his other Vision members are at ringside. It's Penta versus Bronson Reed. Penta doesn't have Dragon Lee there because Gunther, you know, decimated him. We'll talk about it. Rey Mysterio isn't there. I guess they said that he had injuries from the Royal Rumble. So it's just Penta. And guess what?

26:52Even with all the Vision out there, even everything, thing. Penta gets the dub because LA Knight again shows up BFT to Bronson Reed while the referee is down onto a steel chair. Count out. Penta wins the match. The vision is not on the same page. The vision had the numbers completely on their side, not able to take advantage of it whatsoever. Another horrible night for all of those associated with Paul Heyman, as well as presumably the man himself. I mean, it pays right now to be at war with division, which is not a spot that anybody was in not too long ago. Now, you know, was that referee in that Penta-Brunson-Reed match?

27:39Was that Danilo? It was Danilo. Well, he's probably on the ground trying to find coupons or something. You're not wrong. Because he's cheap. Very cheap. But he also works for Adam Pearce. And I guarantee you, Paul Heyman is going to wonder why, when Bronson Reed hit the tsunami? Was there no referee in the ring? We'll figure it all out. But, you know, we talk about Gunther. We talk about LA Knight. We talk about AJ Styles. AJ Styles, who was retired by Gunther. We did not see him, although we saw Gunther come out to that music. We'll get into it in a minute. But I want to talk about AJ Styles and the fact that we have the ability to celebrate the phenomenal career of AJ Styles.

28:22We have the all-new Thank You Collection available now at WWE Shop and Fanatics. New t-shirts celebrating the career of AJ Styles that was brought to an unceremonious end by Gunther at the Royal Rumble. You can get your all-new AJ Styles Thank You Collection today and honor a true wrestling legend on WWE Shop and Fanatics. You can also celebrate the return of L.A. Knight. Yeah. who we saw at the Royal Rumble and then all over Monday Night Raw tonight with the new Unchosen t-shirt. Grab it right now. Don't wait. It's available at WWE Shop and Fanatics. LA Knight's got another one. He had an amazing showing in the Rumble, an amazing Monday Night Raw.

29:11Now's a good time to rep that gear. But before we get into Gunther, before we get into what happened with the women on Monday Night Raw, we had somebody who was an all-star in the Royal Rumble, as well as somebody who had a fabulous match with Grande Americano tonight, joining us from Philadelphia, our first guest on Raw Recap. Coming to us live from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, fresh off of Monday Night Raw and then his match with Grande Americano, Javon Evans, and also fresh off, I mean, I feel like since you were announced as a member of the Monday Night Raw roster, I mean, it's out of the frying pan and into the fire.

29:57It has been nonstop with you. And I feel like you're also going nonstop. How are you feeling right now? Oh, right now, I'm sore and I'm hurting. You know what I mean? Yeah. You know, it's been a crazy couple days. But no, bro, man, I'm blessed, bro. You know what I mean? Like, it's crazy just I didn't think that I was going to have these opportunities and this many eyes and this much attention. I'm sorry. So soon, you feel me? So it's a blessing, bro. I'm honored, man. I'm just having fun out here. You know what I'm trying to? Yeah, I saw on your way to the ring tonight, you were embracing the fans like always.

Read the full transcript

30:42But also, like, every – I mean, you get overly familiar. They try to hug you, and then you're, like, grabbing your ribs, like, relax, relax. That's tender. That's a tender area. Yeah, you know, they don't know, you feel me? But they just get excited, dog. Like, I remember being a kid and being in the nosebleeds and wishing that I was on the floor seats, you feel me? So every time I get an opportunity to have fun with the fans, Because no matter how I'm feeling, you feel me? I try to have fun with him, dog. I mean, what's it like for you when you get into the Royal Rumble? Before we get to tonight, when you're there and you're in Riyadh and it's the Royal Rumble, which anybody that grows up a wrestling fan, you know what I mean?

31:27There's two shows. There's the Royal Rumble and there's WrestleMania. Like, that's it. And not only are you in this thing, but you find yourself looking across from guys that you were, I mean, seemingly just with in the performance center, guys like Trick Williams and Obafemi. And all of a sudden, all of you guys are on this massive, massive stage, all with the opportunity to show now the world what you started in NXT. How special was it to be in the ring, in the Royal Rumble with those guys in particular? Oh, it was great. um you know putting our differences aside uh it was it was just i don't know i feel like it was like a a magical moment i don't know bro like i feel like just being there and like seeing how we all evolved you feel me and realizing like yo just a just a couple weeks back we was killing on NXT and now we have the opportunity to kill it here on Raw.

32:33Like it's SmackDown and whatever PLEs come up next, you know what I mean? We're going crazy. But it was crazy just to have that moment with two of my bros. For real. And I love that you're still repping NXT. You're wearing the penny out we've seen that has NXT and 6-7 on it. Now I have to ask, Sam told me earlier that 6-7's done. Is it done? um i feel like it's just you know if you know you know you feel me sometimes sometimes i'm feeling it i'm like hey six seven you know sometimes i sometimes i get a little mad and they're like you know hey sometimes you gotta back up on the six seven but that makes i feel like it's always gonna be a thing because i feel like later years down the road i'm gonna be like 35 and i'm just gonna be like and then the crowd's gonna go crazy so i believe in it just give it give it some time give it a little process you know i mean people will be calling you unk when you're doing that at 35 i know i'm not even ready for that no no i mean so so when you're in this royal rumble match because the thing about you is that i feel like when you're on the offense you're making moments right whether it's whether it's it's getting in there and and doing these moves that honestly nobody should be doing in a Royal Rumble.

33:53I felt like there was multiple times that I was like, oh, he's just trying to jump off ropes and he's out of this match and somehow you saved yourself like jumping over Oba to attack Trick Williams. But at the same time, as I'm sure difficult as it is for you, man, there is something about watching Jacob Fatou launch you 15 feet into the air and then catch you with a Samoan drop. When you are on the ground, And you were feeling every bit of that. Is there any part of you that's like, yeah, but that was also a moment? Of course. Yeah. Of course. I feel like, you know, sometimes I'm just too bouncy for my own good.

34:35You know? You know? Sometimes, you know, I try to get involved in other people's business, and I end up flying in there. But it was great, dog. You feel me? Like, just being in that atmosphere, you know, having the opportunity to at least try something on Jacob. You feel me? I remember, like, hitting the ground, and I was like, yo, this hurts. It's painful. But it's fire, though. You know what I mean, right? It was great, bro. I would say the same thing, and I hope people understand that, too. I would say the same thing. All of us that have been watching NXT, we know there was a moment when Randy Orton came over to NXT.

35:20And he had that match with you. And there was the one move that we were waiting for. And it just didn't hit quite perfectly. You found it, but it wasn't quite that one moment. And Randy was right there waiting for you in the Rumble. And you guys hit it perfectly. Unfortunately, again, with you on the receiving end of it. But I'm sure that when the butterflies stopped floating around your head and you figured out where you were, I mean, you're on the RKO highlight reel now. Yeah, you know, hey, I appreciate that. No, bro, yeah, no, I actually, I was so messed up about that moment with me and Randy, our first match.

36:05You know, it took me actually a couple of days to rewatch the match back, you feel me, because I was just so embarrassed about it. But, bro, sometimes, like, we got to show the fans that, like, this is real, bro. You know what I mean? Like, no matter what anybody says, no matter what we do, what we say, bro, it's just like, dang, like, anything can happen. I can get hurt. I can mess up a move, bro. Like, everything's not going to be perfect. You know what I mean? So, but at the end of the day, we did it. You feel me? But I do. It hurt. That was fire. I also love that, like, not only do you have that philosophy about it, which is really healthy and really good, but you're like, there's a moment to do it again.

36:46And there's a lot more eyeballs on us this time. And if it doesn't pan out, you know, the way it didn't pan out in NXT, there's a lot more people that are going to notice this time. But we got to do it. We have to do it. And the fact that you went back when the stakes were even higher and said, yeah, this time, I mean, I think it speaks to you as a performer. I think it speaks to you as a wrestler. I think it's a really good thing. For sure. I appreciate that. I appreciate that. Yeah, you know, sometimes you got to take chances. and see what happens. And that's what I did. Mission accomplished.

37:23Javon, you were in the Rumble for like 48 plus minutes. And as someone who grew up a wrestling fan, you were talking earlier how you were up way in the stands. Was there a moment when you were in the Rumble just looking around like, oh my gosh, not only am I here, but I'm still here 48 minutes later? Oh, yeah. Honestly, not going to lie. when Brock Lesnar came in the ring I was such like because you know everyone I was in the ring with I honestly grew up watching so the whole time I'm taking all these moves like dang this hurts bro but I just took a German suplex and a F5 from Brock Lesnar bro you feel me but that moment me getting scooped up by Brock Lesnar in my head I was like alright Brock is strong I can't get out of this one but But I'm about to take an F5, and it's about to be wonderful.

38:20You know? So, bro, you just got to be grateful, man. I'm just grateful that I had the opportunity and grateful that I stayed in the ring for such a long time. You feel me? Just to be in the ring with goats. Yeah, I got to take notes. You might need to teach a master's class or put out one of those self-help books. Because I'm telling you right now, I don't know many pro wrestling fans that are bigger wrestling fans than me. But at the same time, if I was looking at Brock Lesnar about to German suplex me, I would run as far away as humanly possible. You're built different. I tried. But like I said, sometimes, man, I just try to involve myself in other people's business.

39:05And I try walking out to them. And once I was in that position of the suplex, of the German, you can't get out of that. So you just got to accept your fate. Well, listen, I mean, and you made up for it tonight on Raw. I mean, I can't imagine the scenario where you're sitting there. You're in this match with Grande Americano. There's two other Americanos on the outside of the ring. Then another Americano shows up and distracts the other Americanos. And you've got to keep track of all of these weirdo luchadors that have no history and figure out who's who and who's the opponent and who you should be concentrating on.

39:44and you got to win. You got to dub in Philly. I mean, coming off of the trip to Riyadh, straight to Philly, to Monday Night Raw, to Grande Americano, it's got to feel like, is the dust kind of settling on what this weekend has been? For sure. For sure. I know when I go home, I'm going to be on the couch, you know, playing the game. And I'm like, dang, like, I really just did that. You feel me? Like, yeah, man, it's wonderful, bro. I'm blessed, bro. That's it. You feel me? Yeah. Well, Javon, man, I mean, we are absolutely loving everything that you have going on right now. Congratulations. Yeah.

40:28I mean, the start of this year, you're a month in, dude. You are a month in to 2026 and you're already like, you already have the Instagram carousel for the year in review. Like, you're good, dude. It's all gravy after this. So congratulations. Do you have any, and I know that I think you've said before, and you have this luxury of being at such a young age that you can take things as they come, and you shouldn't be in a rush for anything. Do you, now that you've competed incredibly well in a Royal Rumble, and you made the trip all the way out there, and you've made this name for yourself, Do you have any inkling as something you might like to do?

41:11I don't even want to say it out loud on what could be your first WrestleMania. Man. All right. Sorry. I'm not going to lie. I'm Matt Young. What does inkling mean? I'm sorry. I was confused. I'm like, he said inkling. I'm like, it's all good. It's all good. Inkling. Do you have any inkling, any thought, any sort of like the smallest thought? Not that you're saying this is going to happen, but just this sort of like, I have a feeling. I got this inkling. I think this is going to be good. Oh, man. You know, I think just being a part of WrestleMania would be insane. Yeah. But, you know, there's a lot of goals that I want to accomplish.

42:03and one of those goals is to beat Randy Orton's record. You feel me? Be the youngest world heavyweight champion. There it is. I love that. I feel like that's something that I'm grinding for. I think I have – he won it at 24, I believe. Yeah. Okay. It was 24. I turned 22 at 8. So I got more than two years. So let's grind for that goal straight like that. Well, April what? Do you mind me asking? Oh, yeah. April 29th. Oh, my God. So it's great that the birthday is late in April because that's going to give you an extra WrestleMania. It's going to give you extra time to hit that goal. Exactly. Exactly.

42:44Three more WrestleManias until? Yeah. Just about. I think so. Oh, my gosh. Oh, I hope we see that. And like not only. Let's see what happens. I mean, I think about this, man. Your goals are increasing. your catalog of everything you've done in the WWE is increasing and your vocabulary after the word inkling is increasing. You are absolutely right. Javon, thank you so much, man. You're the man and we appreciate it. I appreciate y 'all for having me. Big thanks to the man himself, Javon Evans. Really, really cool. What a time to be Javon Evans. He was part of more than one memorable moment from the Royal Rumble.

43:27And I'll tell you, the Royal Rumble was unbelievable. Yeah, it was. In general, we were talking about it. And I'll tell you, as unbelievable as the Royal Rumble was, always, Tops Now is there to commemorate these unbelievable events. We were talking about it. We were wondering what we were going to get from Tops Now. Well, Topps Now is going to be celebrating the winners of the men's and women's Royal Rumble. And lucky collectors who buy the Liv Morgan and Roman Reigns base cards have the chance to receive autograph relic cards featuring pieces from the actual mat of Royal Rumble 2026. You will have the chance randomly inserted to get cards signed by Liv Morgan or Roman Reigns with an actual piece of the mat from the event in the card.

44:26Awesome, awesome collectibles only at tops now. You can also get the AJ Styles card and lucky collectors who buy the base card will have a chance at receiving autographs and a special short print celebrating his final WWE match. And don't miss the Royce Keys debut card and Brie Bella return card. I would say that's a Royce. I would consider that the Royce Keys rookie, although a lot of people don't consider Topps now rookies. Still, you get the card from the night that Royce Keys showed up in the WWE for the first time. Grab these cards on Topps.com and sign up for notifications so you never miss a big moment.

45:05While we're on the topic of Topps, real quick, I also want to tell you that there may be six more weeks of winter because of that fool of a groundhog who I've never trusted anyway. But WWE Slam by Topps is bringing the heat with all new digital trading card collections. Yes, the canvas comes alive in color splash where bold pigments, explosive designs, and larger than life WWE moments collide. This all next box delivers a vibrant mix of high energy cards drenched in color and available now to chase. And from heart pounding moments to unforgettable finishes, all heart celebrates superstars who lead with passion when it matters most.

45:56This daily set spotlights your favorite superstars whose grit, loyalty, and emotion define WWE history. Get your digital fingers on these collections and more, including Topps Now Royal Rumble cards premiering later this week. WWE Slam by Topps offers fans around the world a chance to collect and trade their favorite WWE superstars, rip digital packs every day, complete collector-based missions and seasons and combined cards to craft them into rarer digital collectibles. Download free now in the App Store and Google Play. And I'm going to tell you who is not playing. Not once, not for a second, not at all, not ever.

46:54Obafemi coming at the War Raiders. And the War Raiders are like not only a tag team. So there's two of them. Two of the biggest people on the roster. Two of the biggest people on the roster. Two of the strongest people on the roster. And also deceivingly quick. And like athletic. Super athletic. And here comes Obafemi just coming down. It's not even his match. By the way, they weren't tag team. Like not long ago, they were tag team champions. Yeah, the War Raiders? Yeah. Absolutely. Obafemi shows up, not signed to Monday Night Raw, free agent, not booked. This wasn't a match. He just shows up and decimates the War Raiders.

47:37And you're just like, and the way too, the way that he did, it wasn't even like, man, it'd be one thing if it was a bunch of like tackles and shoulder blocks and clotheslines. Obafemi was lifting these 300 pound men in the air like they were nothing. I've never seen anything like that before. The War Raiders for years have been one of my favorite tag teams to watch. And one of those tag teams that you look at and go, I would never want to be on the other side of the ring. And Oba Femi dominated both of them. Yes, because exactly what we were talking about. You see the size of them and you go, wow, they're imposing.

48:10But then you watch the War Raiders move and you go, how is this even possible? That's right. And that's why they are such a dominant tag team. And that's why they've been tag team champions. But for Oba to come in, never having a match on Monday Night Raw before, just off of an outstanding performance in the Royal Rumble, to just completely throw those guys out of the ring? Yeah, I watched the War Raiders move tonight, and I thought it was impossible because it was involuntary. Yeah. Because they were being thrown up in the air like it was Jacob Fatu and Javon Evans all over again. It was absolutely insane.

48:45I cannot wait to see where Obafemi lands. I think Obafemi is just going to be a force of nature in WWE. I know Adam Pearce has a lot on his plate, but after that performance by Obafemi, you got to give that man whatever he wants to put him on your show. I'll tell you what I would want if I were Obafemi, a different general manager. The way Adam Pearce treats people, the way Adam Pearce treats Braun Breaker, the way he treats Paul Heyman, the way he leads with emotion, the way he has to, you know, a lot of times he says finish the evening with a cocktail. I would say that if I was like, okay I'll come to Monday Night Raw I'll sign your deal but I want a different general manager for sure because you're a lunatic that's what I would say if I was Obafemi I would never say that is me you're the number one Adam Pearce hater number one number one Adam Pearce hater you think Adam Pearce is doing a good job you I mean I think you're a little tough on him I think it's the general manager it is a tough job when you're dealing with people like Paul Heyman and the vision it's supposed to be a tough job that's the job has there ever been a general you think Jack Tunney had it easy?

49:48You think Gorilla Monsoon had it easy? The Hot Rod when he was interim commissioner, you think he had it easy? Nick Bockwinkle was commissioner of WCW. He didn't have it easy. JJ Dillon. He didn't have it easy. You think Vicky Guerrero had it easy? And she got the job done. You think Teddy Long had it easy? And how many tag team matches and one-on-one with The Undertaker did we have? Are these all general managers you think that are doing a better job or did a better job than Adam Pearce? They didn't lead with emotion and they didn't let their grudges play out. And they certainly didn't line up 38 dudes in front of them and start insulting talent.

50:33But that's neither here nor there. We already discussed that. Gunther was an absolute savage tonight on Monday Night Raw. When AJ Styles' music hit, I was so excited. I mean, emotional, but excited. And it wasn't advertised for Raw. So when the music hit, I looked at you and I went, oh, like he's here. We're going to get to hear one last. That's what I thought. Like a goodbye. A goodbye from AJ. Maybe the gloves get left in the ring. Yeah, because he took the gloves off. It looked like he was going to leave them in the ring. He put them back on. He's going to do it in Philly. Yeah, this is going to be our happy moment.

51:10And then I saw it. I think we saw it on television before the audience saw it. I was like, AJ does not wear a black trench. And AJ is not that tall. God bless him. He's not. And he's not laughing like that either. I go, that's an Austrian. That's not a guy from Georgia. I mean, Gunter loves antagonizing people. And he did exactly that with that maniacal laugh. He was so happy with how upset you were with him, by the way. Did you see On the Royal Rumble recap WWE now He was so Because you were visibly upset Yeah I was Not the most professional That you've ever been I'll just say that But he was You were visibly upset And he loved that He really had a great time with it I mean sue me He said like yeah What's her problem Yeah he did He told me to get a life Yeah well Yeah he did This isn't Disneyland Megan That's what he said That's what he said to me He really did talk down to you He did Yeah And he liked every second of it I didn't like any of it at all You don't like it when people are condescending to you, do you?

52:11You didn't like that at all. No, I hated that. That was terrible. Now all of a sudden you're doing a Gunter maniacal laugh. Because it makes it. I mean, this guy has retired John Cena. Right. Made him tap. Made John Cena quit. Like what? Like what? Like a little bee. That's what he said. That's what he said. Yeah. Goldberg. Who? Bill Goldberg. Gotcha. And then AJ Styles. Oh. I mean, you of all people, Sam Roberts, were like, oh, 2026, AJ Styles, last run. You were excited to see AJ Styles at WrestleMania. You were excited to see AJ Styles at SummerSlam. You were excited for the year. And like you get him in the war games one time.

52:51Yeah. You sit here now and you're like, you are unprofessional because you're upset that AJ's career ended. Yeah. Well, you were. How is that unprofessional? You should. I mean, you're like Adam Pearce. You led with emotion. but but regardless he got all of us did Gunther and I mean only Gunther can really like because he could do so much damage he can pull off with that level of antagonism when he comes out and you could hear it it was almost like back in the day when the Miz wore a bald cap and a and a and a just bring it t-shirt and the audience really thought the rock was coming out and it was the Miz and it was like oh we hate you but this was even worse because they were like we don't know if we're ever going to see AJ Styles again in WWE ring and Gunther comes out and he just loves it and then the music kicks in

53:46and it says career killer on the Tron and Gunther comes out loving every bit of it I hated every second of it I thought for a second that was you in a Dragon Lee mask but then I saw you were in the ring it was actually Dragon Lee who came out to the ring dragon lee of course very recently former tag team champion with aj styles and dragon lee really did i mean he came right out there and gunther said like what do you want he kicked him right in the head did it dragon lee he kicked him in right in the head and i said good for you dragon lee go out there and kick that dude in the head if that's what you need to do and he got him out and he got him to the outside and everything but it was just like so much vigor and you can't again Man, emotion, emotion, emotion, emotion, emotion.

54:31And Gunther just locks on that sleeper hold. And I mean, you know, security tries to pull Gunther off and everything. But the reality is it wasn't Dragon Lee's segment. Dragon Lee came out. Dragon Lee started this. Gunther's going to finish it. They get him into the ring. I mean, it was insane. Gunther had Dragon Lee Dangling off the apron Over the ropes while security And his body just went limp Just put him to sleep His body just goes And then he just drops him And you just see this Dragon Lee Through the flames Just go right down to the mat Just like a sack And you're just like Gunther Gunther You vicious Savage animal you is there no humanity left no and i think there actually is humanity it's evil the humanity is the joy that he for some reason gets out of seeing people like he truly believes he's told us that he's doing pro wrestling a service by taking moments away from older people who should be retired so should dragon lee be retired dragon lee got himself involved i think dragon Lee might be retired I don't know for sure but I think he might be I just I hate having this conversation because I went back and watched the Royal Rumble and I saw the Randy elimination and I've been thinking about it since I saw it and I don't want Guter in the ring with anybody because he's gonna retire him yeah we'll just yep yeah that's why I don't want him get him out He's going to beat him.

56:16It's inevitable. It is. Thanos is here. And that's everybody's career. He's already, he's already knocked out three. He really is depopulating WWE. It's crazy. Three. And he's been back since the Cena tournament. Yeah. I mean, the Goldberg match was less than a year ago. Yeah. The Goldberg match was less than a year ago. Boom. Listen, it wasn't all, it wasn't all chagrin. There was a lot of happiness on Monday Night Raw as well. A lot of happiness. We saw the return of Dominic Mysterio. And I mean, I thought this. I'm surprised you didn't lead with that. I thought this guy looked great. I mean, if Roman Reigns and CM Punk hadn't done what they did, I probably would have.

57:02Dominic, I thought Dominic Mysterio looked great when he left. Like the glasses. Bro, I liked everything. I liked everything about, I mean, look at this guy. The mustache looks absolutely, it's sicker and thicker than ever. That's what I would say. I think Dominic, you fanatics WWE shop, there needs to be a shirt with Dominic Mysterio, and he's got his mustache, and it says, sicker and thicker, Dominic Mysterio. Because he came out, he had the glasses on. That mullet is the longest, most conditioned, flowing mullet. And you talk to him about this mullet, and he almost says, like, in a braggadocious way.

57:37You go, and I've asked him, how often do you shampoo that thing? He says, every day. I say, you're not supposed to shampoo and condition every day. It's bad for your hair. He goes, I do it every day. I go, Dominic, you bad boy, Dominic. He doesn't play by the rules. He was also wearing some Carhartts. Oh, yeah, he was. Some overalls. The overalls, the tank top, the throat tattoo. I think he added to the throat tattoo. It looks amazing. He added to a lot of tattoos. Oh, well, yeah, he's been at home for a little while. Still got his two championships. I mean, imagine just having your arms full of two championships and Liv Morgan.

58:15That's how you roll. How does life get better? It doesn't. It simply doesn't. He's Dominic Mysterio. He just shows up again and everybody's like, oh yeah, I forgot. The greatest human that's ever lived. I mean, this guy's incredible. I've never seen anything like it. And everyone around him continues to elevate as well. I mean, Liv Morgan is already the greatest Royal Rumble winner of all. time. Yeah, that's what happens. That's what happens when you truly have that Dominic energy. It really does elevate everybody that's around you. And he was just there to celebrate Liv Morgan, to celebrate Liv Morgan's win.

58:58Raquel, Dominic, Liv had a moment. I don't think Raquel is as forgiving as Liv Morgan thinks that she is. no stay in the back is never that good one time sean michaels told psycho sid next time you'll stay in the back and that was the night that psycho sid turned on sean michaels people don't like stay in the back i remember that and live did act supportive of this this the stay in the back command i mean yeah but she didn't say less she didn't say well initially when she was told She said, say less. No problem. And was very, very proud of Raquel. Obviously, she didn't obey. No, she didn't stay in the back.

59:38And as a matter of fact, she didn't stay in the back. There was hesitation from Raquel. And it ended up with Stephanie Vaquer, at least for the moment, being able to take advantage. I can't blame the whole finish of the Stephanie Vaquer, Raquel Rodriguez match on Liv. No, not that. Because it went on. And then they went counter for counter for counter for counter. and then Stephanie Vaquer, by the way, after two devil's kisses, one on a chair, one on the steel steps, after a, some kind of a hurricane Rana that was turned into a power bomb, that was turned back into a hurricane Rana, Stephanie, Raquel goes through the table, Stephanie goes up, hits that corkscrew splash.

1:00:28Which is amazing. Unbelievable. One, two, three, Stephanie Vaquer wins that Philly street fight. But then Liv Morgan takes out Stephanie at the end of the match and holds up the Women's World Championship herself. Now, Liv Morgan also said she was going to take a trip to SmackDown this week to check out the competition there. Jade Gargill, I probably want to, if I'm assessing competition, I might want to do it from a distance. but regardless you know she she uh uh will be on Smackdown checking out Jade Cargill and I have to wonder number one I wonder which champion she's going to go for but number two the whole premise of this was I know you're not selfish and you have a title match and I have a title match now we both have title matches except now Raquel has lost her title match yeah which is why Liv is probably, I assume, probably going to say, well, I held up the title because you didn't win the title and we still need the title to come back to the judgment day.

1:01:29But the whole point was that they would both get titles. I know. Raquel's not going to be happy about the way this went. No chance. No. I don't think Raquel should have let Liv off that easy for eliminating her. Really? You didn't say that to Liv? You didn't have that same energy with Liv? When Liv was here, you didn't say that well she just she just won the royal rumble you weren't trying to yuck her yum she was the she was the bridesmaid so many times and finally was the bride i didn't want to do that to her in her moment to her face but you know when you really sit down and look at the way that she eliminated raquel rodriguez she eliminated her i mean this wasn't like charlotte flair alexa bliss accidental elimination no it's on purpose this was i'm eliminating you it was the final four in the Royal Rumble.

1:02:17I mean, what are you going to do? If it's the, if you're at the final four in the Royal Rumble and you want to win the thing, you got to eliminate the other three. I get it. I mean, not show friends, it's show business. That's right. That's all it is. But I'll tell you, hopefully they can all keep it together because there's, I mean, this, they got to make it to the summer. You know why? Because it's Fanatics Fest. That's exactly right. This summer, It is Fanatics Fest. This is huge news for WWE and sports fans. The world's number one sports fan festival, Fanatics Fest, is making its return to New York City.

1:02:52Fanatics is bringing you closer to the league's teams, superstars, and athletes that you love across four action-packed days in July. You can meet your favorite WWE superstars. In fact, Cody Rhodes, Rhea Ripley, Eosky, Liv Morgan, Jey Uso, Charlotte Flair, Becky Lynch, Randy Orton, Stephanie Vaquer, Tiffany Stratton, and Bianca Belair will all be in attendance. as well as big names across sports like WWE superfan Cam Scadabo. You'll also be able to get your hands on exclusive merch and catch live WWE podcasts. That's exciting. Tickets are now on sale at fanaticsfest.com. I can't wait for it. Hopefully the Bellas will be there.

1:03:33I was very excited to see the Bellas back. Back as a team. You find that Brimo t-shirt? I'm looking for it. I don't know if it'll fit me anymore to tell you the truth. Why? You just messed up? I filled out. I've filled out since my... You've been hitting the gym? I have. I have. I've filled... I put my Raycons on. I hit the weights. I've filled out a little bit since the last time I wore my Breemode T-shirt. So I might need a new one. But we'll see. We'll see. That has nothing to do with the McDonald's. There it is. The McDonald's. There you are. Yeah, no, I've... No, the McDonald's is... I've checked the macros on that.

1:04:00It's high protein. You're good? You're good? Just nugs. Just nugs and nugs and nugs. It's high protein. Yeah, no, no, no, no, no. I think I've filled out a little bit since then, which is good. Which is good. I needed it. Let's do a little too slender there. I look like Slender Man. Look how long and skinny those arms are. It's not good. Hey, Nikki said you got to glow up, so. That's what I'm saying. You can say whatever you want. I'm going to take Nikki Bella's word for it, I think. That's smart. That's smart. I appreciate that. Next week, we got a big Monday Night Raw, okay? We are getting Maxine Dupree versus Natty.

1:04:30Who, speaking of looking yoked, she looked jacked backstage. She did look jacked backstage, but Natty is not one to mess with. Not right now. No, I can't wait. Especially, you talk about having a great performance in the Royal Rumble. Low-key, the low-key legend, did amazing in the Royal Rumble. She did. Fabulous elimination of Becky Lynch, which was really well done, and spent a good amount of time in there. We've also got the Tag Team Championship on the line. Alpha Academy versus the Usos. This is the opportunity that Alpha Academy needs. Maxine Dupree got a similar opportunity when she won the Intercontinental Championship by beating Becky Lynch badly.

1:05:12And now you've got Tozawa and Otis who have the opportunity to elevate. I doubt that they'll be able to beat the Usos as soundly as Maxine beat Becky Lynch badly. But... Disinformation, scam, Roberts. Well, I'm trying to spread joy. It could be a huge night. I'm just saying for Alpha Academy against the greatest tag team of all time, the Usos. And of course the elimination chamber matches, the qualifiers start on Monday night raw next week. It's really happening. We're on the road. It's crazy. We start finding out who's going to be in this elimination chamber match next week on Monday night raw.

1:05:52I cannot wait. And the best part about all of it is that WWE now will be here. Next week, to break it all down and to recap Monday Night Raw, subscribe to the WWE Now audio feed across all podcast platforms. Make sure you're leaving comments and hitting like on YouTube. And we'll see you again for more WWE Now.

From the publisher

2026 Royal Rumble winner Roman Reigns challenges World Heavyweight Champion CM Punk to a title match at WrestleMania, The Bella Twins target the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship, and Je'Von Evans joins the show to discuss his Royal Rumble debut and his match against El Grande Americano. This is WWE Now: Raw Recap, a WWE and Fanatics Original Production, brought to you by Raycon.

The Everyday Earbuds Classic are here to help you go for gold. Go to https://buyraycon.com/WWENOW to get 15% off. Thanks Raycon for sponsoring!

Thank You AJ Styles: https://shop.wwe.com/en/aj-styles/t-3434995090+z-979333-3900659391?_s=bm-WWEShop-WWEcom-AJ_Thank_You-Podcast-2026

LA Knight Shirt: https://shop.wwe.com/en/la-knight/o-1288106948+t-6756029341+z-9-727892092?_s=bm-WWEShop-WWEcom-LA_Knight_RAW-Podcast-2026

Fanatics Fest: https://www.fanaticsfest.com/#newsletter-signup&utm_source=fanatics&utm_medium=podcast&[…]paign=ff26_presale_10.27-podcastadreads&utm_term=awareness

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

More from What's Your Story? with Steph McMahon

All 180 episodes
WWE Now - "I'm picking you because I hate you!" Roman Reigns vs. CM Punk at WrestleManiaWhat's Your Story? with Steph McMahon · 1 h 6 min
Listen in VO