WWE Monday Night Raw 5/5/2025

WWE Monday Night Raw 5/5/2025

Last week's show is here: https://prowresblog.blogspot.com/2025/04/wwe-monday-night-raw-4282025.html

Next week's show is here: https://prowresblog.blogspot.com/2025/05/wwe-monday-night-raw-5122025.html

Note - A bunch of people got cut this weekend including Braun Strowman, Dakota Kai, Shayna, Chance and Carter. I was shocked Braun got cut with how good his run has been. I never felt like Chance and Carter got a real chance to do anything and thought they wasted Chance.

We are in Omaha, Nebraska. Michael Cole and Pat McAfee are on commentary.

We see various wrestlers arrive.

Jey Uso walks in through the crowd as usual. He makes his entrance then has the song play again. Jey says he's here and Logan Paul is here and he says let's handle business. Paul Heyman comes out instead.

Paul says he didn't come to disrespect Jey but says he wanted to say something to Jey's face. Jey says Paul has a lot of balls after what he did to his family. Paul asks if Jey's gonna lecture him about betraying Roman. Jey says he is. Jey says he saw past him from day one and warned Roman and Punk about him.

Paul says maybe Jey should have warned him. The crowd chants for Punk and Paul mocks them. Paul says Punk put him in a situation that would sabotage his relationship with Roman. Paul said he had a dream with Punk and said he wanted Punk to overcome all adversity. He asks why he would sell Roman's secrets to Punk when he built Bloodline for 5 years. 

Paul says he found a stray dog and turned him into the tribal chief and the ruler of WWE. Paul says they were WWE champ for over 1,000 days and says he's not the one who blew it by getting distracted by Seth and beaten by Cody. He says Roman then disappeared after he lost and left him in the hands of Solo and Fatu who put him through a table. 

Paul says Roman didn't avenge him, he came for his necklace. Paul says he wanted to help his friend live out his dream and says he's always the scumbag but not this time. Paul says he's right this time. He says screw you if you blame him.

Jey asks if Paul is okay and if he's done. Jey asks what this has to do with him. Paul says it has nothing to do with him. He says he came out here to talk about him. Paul says Jey won the title as he wants it. Paul says the title is about power and control and Jey doesn't know how to wield it. He says he doesn't understand that leverage. Paul says Jey wants to be champ but Seth has to be champ. He says Bron Breakker was stage one of their plan and stage two is the title.

Paul says he will do him a favor and let him pick the night he loses his title. Paul says Seth challenges him for the title. Paul says Seth beat Punk and Roman but Jey can pick the time and place. Paul says Seth will fight him anytime and anyplace.

Paul goes to leave and Jey stops him. Jey says it's on tonight.

Thoughts: Paul was really good here and made sense of his turn on Roman and Punk. He did some great acting here.

Paul Heyman talks to Seth and Bron in the back. Paul says he can't believe Jey fell for it. He says Seth was so right. Seth says he loves to say, "I told you so" and says, "I told you so". Paul tells Bron he told him so. Paul says Roman prepared for Seth at Mania and Seth pinned him. Paul says Punk prepared for Seth at Mania and Seth beat them and they lost to him. Paul says Jey is a great champ and he tapped out Gunther. He says Jey is no easy day in the park. He says Jey is distracted by Logan Paul and has had no time to prep for Seth. Paul says Seth has only focused on Jey as there is nobody left. Paul says Seth is a sniper and has Jey in his sights. Paul says they get handed the keys to the kingdom tonight when the ref hands the title to Seth.

Penta vs JD McDonaugh

No entrance for JD. JD boots him and side headlock takeovers him. JD armdrags and armlocks him. Penta headscissors him then back elbows him. JD trips Penta then rolls him up for 2. JD standing moonsaults Penta.

JD and Penta chop each other. Penta leg kicks him and chops him. Penta hits leg kicks. JD boots him out of the corner and hits a running back elbow. They fight on the apron. Penta enzugiri's him there. JD death valley drivers him on the apron.

We go to break and return. Penta is in tree of woe. JD misses a baseball slide and goes crotch first into the post. Penta then handstand pendulum dropkicks him on the buckles. Penta gets a 2 count on him.

Penta hits forearms. JD is kicked then takes a slingblade. Penta tilt-a-whirl backbreakers him for 2. Finn and Carlito get involved. Penta kicks Carlito. JD is sent out. Penta does a top rope dive on JD and Carlito.

Finn trips Penta outside and is caught. The ref kicks Finn and Carlito out. Chad Gale trips up Penta on the ropes. Penta tope con hilos him. JD jawbreakers Penta. JD misses a top rope moonsault. Penta hits a canadian destroyer and wins.

Thoughts: It was average with a lot of shenanigans with Judgment Day. Thankfully, they didn't overdo it.

Waller and Theory talk to Adam Pearce in the back. Waller says Theory should have a singles match tonight. Theory says he's down for it. Pearce asks if they are serious. Pearce says Theory has a singles match. Theory wants to know who it is against and Waller says it will be a surprise.

Sheamus vs Austin Theory

Sheamus throws him off of the waistlock. Austin pounds on him then takes shots. Austin goes up and over then dropkicks him. Austin back elbows him and Sheamus hits an irish curse twice. Sheamus stomps him in the gut then cloverleafs him. Sheamus jumps off the top onto Austin outside and we go to break.

We return and Austin boots him. Sheamus fires up then hits a big slam. Austin rolls into a knee from Sheamus for 2. Sheamus misses a corner charge and goes into the post. Austin superkicks him then rolls into a blockbuster for 2.

Sheamus hits a 2nd rope air raid crash. Sheamus clubs on Austin's chest. Sheamus hits a brogue kick and wins.

Thoughts: It was fine. Both did their usual moves and Sheamus got the win as expected here. I'm curious if anything comes out of this.

Judgment Day talk in the back. JD asks about them getting kicked out and asked why Gable was out there. JD says Penta and Gable need to get it ASAP. AJ Styles walks in. He says he's coming for the IC Title no matter who wins at Backlash. Dom says he knew being champ as gonna be hard but not this hard. Dom says Finn should take care of AJ since he has a history with him. Finn pretends to be angry but says he will take care of him.

Chad Gable talks to The New Day. Woods has some wild haricut. Kofi says Chad and American Made new respect. Woods says they beat The War Raiders and title shots like that should come to American Made. Becky Lynch walks in then walks past. Woods says it's messed up what Lyra did to her.

Becky Lynch is in the ring. Becky says she's the victim here. She said nobody asked or cared where Bayley was at Mania as she's garbage. She says everyone should say thank you for her thanks out the garbage. She says she took out the recycling too as she says that's what Lyra is. She says Lyra wouldn't have anything including her fiancee without her.

Lyra Valkyria comes out. She says she doesn't like Becky saying she had anything to do with her success. Lyra says Becky didn't make her. Lyra says everyone got better while Becky was on holiday. She said she won titles while Becky was on holiday. She said she had more title defenses than days Becky showed up to work. She said Becky broke glass ceilings but she left broken glass. Lyra said Becky had no intention to take anyone with her.

Becky says it's not her job to help anyone. She says it's her job to beat everyone. She says she's good at her job. She says Lyra will only be the moment after the moment.

Lyra says the Women's IC Title is her first ever and says Becky better get used to liking 2nd place while she's here. Becky tries to hit her. Lyra takes her down and they fight. Lyra hits spears to the gut and they go out. Becky is sent into the rails and officials try to break it up. 

Becky brings up the disrespect then they fight in the ring. Lyra hits nightwing. 

Roxanne Perez vs Iyo Sky

They lock up. Iyo side headlocks her then shoulders her over. RP cartwheels over her and slaps her. Iyo chases her around the ring. RP backrolls into a spinning headscissors but Iyo headflips out. Iyo cartwheels, backflips and dropkicks RP. RP dropkicks her in the knee.

Iyo's leg is pulled over the 2nd rope. RP topes her. RP throws her back in then Iyo tope crossbodies her. RP stomps Iyo's leg over the bottom rope connector. We go to break and return. 

RP takes an armdrag from the buckles. Iyo flapjacks her and buzzsaw kicks her. Iyo hits a top rope dropkick. Iyo rolls her into a double stomp for 2. Iyo germans her, flips over her and goes for another but takes a backdrop. Iyo double underhook backbreakers her. Iyo misses a top rope moonsault and RP does a short headscissors spike on her. RP hits a cartwheel double knee to the back of the head.

Iyo flips out of a sunset flip then RP dragon screws her. RP la magistral's her then tries a bridge. Iyo does her own bridge. They trade pin attempts and Iyo finally pins her.

Thoughts: Iyo's selling of the leg could have been a bit better but it was an athletic match that was good. RP targeted the leg as she usually does. There was a lot of flying and flipping here. 

They shake hands. Giulia nails Iyo from behind and RP laughs. Iyo is double teamed. They botch a superkick into a curbstomp then try a 2nd time.

Rusev vs Otis

They lock up. Rusev hits some shots then hits some nice punches in the corner. Rusev stomp flurries him. Rosev lariats him. Otis just stares at him. Otis body blocks him then Rusev does a nice spinning heel kick. WE go to break and return.

Otis is out on the floor as we return. Rusev boots him and is suplexed onto the commentary table. Rusev is thrown into the steps. Otis hits bolo punches then punches the post when Rusev moves. Rusev then kicks the post and Otis knocks him down.

Otis hits a corner splash. Rusev pump kicks him. Rusev then camel clutches him and submits him.

Thoughts: It was short but they did what they were supposed to do. It was all heavyweight action here.

Akira Tozawa challenges Rusev after. Rusev backs off then comes back in and powerbombs Akira onto Otis.

Otis is sent into the post and does a nice bump to the outside off of it. Rusey pump kicks him then does the camel clutch on him again. Officials and Pearce then come to break it up.

Adam Pearce brings Pat McAfee into the ring then Gunther. Adam tells them to talk now as the time for talk is done at Backlash. Gunther says he won't hurt him tonight as he doesn't want to spoil it for himself. He says he's professional unlike Cole and McAfee. Pat says Cole is a walking, talking, GOAT.

Pat puts over Nebraska including the college football team and coach. He says nothing beats Omaha steaks. He says the city is a symbol of working hard and dreams coming true. Pat says both of them wanted to be wrestlers and watched wrestling. Pat says it's not a dream but a job for Gunther, but he gets excited to be here. 

He says Gunther got comfortable and doesn't want it anymore. He says he will prove that his version of Gunther is soft. Gun says Saturday is his first match since Mania and he will show up sharp and focused. He promises his full attention. He says he will beat him up, choke him out and drive his head into the mat. He says only the grace of God can lift his arms off Pat's throat at Mania.

Thoughts: It was a good segment here with both guys doing well on the mic.

We get a Cena/Orton video with focus on their Breaking Point I-Quit match.

World Heavyweight Title - Jey Uso (c) vs Seth Rollins

Seth snapmares him and crucifixes him. Seth shoulders him over and weeps him. Jey misses a kick and Seth poses on the top rope. They shove and punch each other. They evade each others moves. Seth stomps on Jey then boots him in the corner. Jey uppercuts him then spinning enzugiri's him. Jey lariats him over the top then topes him over the commentary table.

We go to break and return. Jey hits punches then Seth clubs on him. They crossbody each other at the same time. Jey hits punches then samoan drops him. Jey hits a corner hip attack for 2.

Jey chases Seth around the ring and Seth pushes him into the rails with his feet. Seth topes him. Seth springboards and is caught with a superkick. Rey runs into a knee and Seth buckle bombs him. Seth's head is bleeding. Seth misses a top rope splash. Jey goes for the spear but is hit with a pedigree for 2. Seth misses a curbstomp. Jey sleepers him and is rolled off. Jef hits a flying spear on Seth for 2. They fight on the buckles. Bron grabs Jey's foot. Seth runs up the buckles and does a superplex then a falcon arrow. Seth curbstomps him.

Sami Zayn comes down and jumps on Bron from the rails. Bron is sent into the post. Jey superkicks and spear Seth. Jey hits a top rope splash for 2. Bron spears Sami. Heyman distracts the ref and Bron spears Jey outside. Seth curbstomps Jey. CM Punk comes out with a chair. He throws the chair in Bron's face. Punk beats up Seth in the ring and chairs him. Seth chairs Bron as well.

Thoughts: I wondered what would happen here as I didn't see either guy losing. They tried but the match was just okay and as usual, Jey mostly relied on superkicks and spears. 

Overall thoughts: We had 5 matches here which is a little more than usual. I liked the opening segment. Penta/JD was average with lots of shenanigans. Sheamus/Austin was fine. Perez/Iyo was probably the best match of the night. I liked what we got of Rusev/Otis but it wasn't their best effort. Pat/GUnther had a good segment. The main was okay but not great. I'd give this one a 7 out of 10 as we had some good wrestling and some good talking segments here. Paul's performance in the opening segment is worth a look.