SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)...
WWE RAW REPORT
MAY 12, 2025
LOUISVILLE, KY. AT KFC YUM! CENTER
AIRED LIVE ON NETFLIX (WORLDWIDE)
REPORT BY MAURICIO POMARES, PWTORCH CONTRIBUTOR
Commentators: Michael Cole, Pat McAfee
Ring Announcer: Alicia Taylor
Attendance: WrestleTix reports today that 8,410 tickets were distributed so far; arena set up for 10,246. The arena has a capacity of 22,090 spectators when configured for concerts.
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[HOUR ONE]
– The show opened with a graphic in memoriam to recently passed Sabu.
– A recap of Jey Uso and Seth Rollins’ title match and the post-match brawl with CM Punk was shown.
– CM Punk made his way to the ring to say that he was pissed at a lot of things. Punk said that he was the most pissed at himself for not seeing Paul Heyman turning on him for a second time. Punk said that he thought they had matured, but Heyman turned out to still be a snake. He threatened Heyman to choke him out and squeeze the life out of him. Heyman interrupted and Punk dared him to enter the ring before Seth Rollins and Bron Breakker showed up. Rollins said that Punk only kept being more selfish and egotistical because he made Heyman’s life hell on the road to WrestleMania. Rollins said that Heyman was the only one that believed in Punk while he believed that Punk was trash.
– He said that Punk cost him the belt and Punk said that Rollins wouldn’t be champion as long as he could stand. Rollins said that Punk was desperate to be a victim and wanted to die a martyr. Rollins said that it could be arranged and sent Breakker to attack him. Punk caught Breakker with a boot to the face and tackled Rollins, until Breakker shut him down. Sami Zayn joined in the fight, but was quickly overpowered. Rollins tried to clobber Punk with a chair to the face, only for Jey Uso to show up and superkick him. Punk, Sami and Jey stood tall, as they forced Rollins and Breakker to retreat.
(Pomares’ Analysis: A solid opening segment to keep on furthering this story and tease the possible addition of a third member for Rollins’ crew. I’m assuming the first big match they’ll get out of the way will be Rollins and Bron vs. Punk and Sami at a major show like Money in the Bank or Night of Champions. Hopefully there’s more on this show because I don’t feel like we got a lot out of this segment.)
– A recap of El Grande Americano costing Penta the Intercontinental title at Backlash was shown.
– Penta made his way to the ring, ahead of his match against Chad Gable.
[Commercial Break]
– Pat McAfee returned to the commentary table.
(Pomares’ Analysis: Really not a fan of Pat not taking any time off to sell having a match against Gunther.)
(1) PENTA vs. CHAD GABLE (w/Ivy Nile)
Penta nailed Gable with a kick to the leg and a couple of chops to the chest. Gable took Penta down with clotheslines and a cross chop for a two count. Gable knocked Penta down with a clothesline and a back suplex, but he kicked out at two. Penta stopped Gable from unmasking him before sending him out of the ring with an arm drag and a hurracarrana. Gable blocked a plancha with a running headbutt, as WWE Raw went to an ad break.
[Commercial Break]
Back from break, Penta clocked Gable with an enzuigiri and an elevated dropkick for a two count. Gable blocked a springboard move and dropped Penta with a bridging German suplex. Penta blocked a diving headbutt with a Codebreaker for a two count. Gable blocked a backstabber and crushed Penta with a moonsault, but he kicked out at two. Penta blocked an ankle lock and shut Gable down with a thrust kick for a nearfall. Gable trapped Penta in an ankle lock, until Penta countered it with a roll-through. Gable sat Penta atop the turnbuckle, only for Penta to shove him down and finish him off with a Destroyer.
WINNER: Penta at 11:03
(Pomares’ Analysis: Pretty good match to give Penta back some momentum after his loss at Backlash. I could see him being the first one to actually beat El Grande Americano, unless they are somehow waiting for Rey Mysterio to return.)
– A video package was shown, hyping up the women’s tag team main event.
[Commercial Break]
– Backstage, Dominik Mysterio asked Finn Bálor about his hesitation at Backlash. Finn said that Dominik was being paranoid and everything ended up working out for him anyway.
– A recap of Gunther defeating Pat McAfee at Backlash was shown.
– The New Day made their way to the ring to watch the next match.
[Commercial Break]
– It was confirmed that Seth Rollins and Bron Breakker would team up to take on CM Punk and Sami Zayn at Saturday Night’s Main Event.
– Backstage, Sami Zayn checked on CM Punk to talk about their tag match. They agreed that they wouldn’t get anything done, unless they took care of Seth Rollins and Bron Breakker.
(2) WAR RAIDERS (Erik & Ivar) vs. CREED BROTHERS (Julius Creed & Brutus Creed)
The War Raiders dropped the Creeds with numerous bodyslams. Julius caught Erik off-guard with a lariat and stomped him down, alongside Brutus. Brutus pummeled Erik with a bunch of strikes to the chest, followed by a diving axe handle. Julius took Erik down with a Xploder, only for Erik to launch him onto Brutus. Julius blocked a suicide dive with a forearm strike and put Erik down with a vertical suplex on the floor, as WWE Raw went to an ad break.
[Commercial Break]
[HOUR TWO]
Back from break, Ivar crushed Julius with a big splash and a seated senton, followed by a leg lariat. Ivar hit Julius with a corner senton, but Julius responded with a superplex. Brutus crushed Ivar with a moonsault for a close two count. Ivar laid Julius out with a spinning side slam, reaching Erik for the tag. Erik dropped the Creeds with a pair of Xploders and dropped Ivar on top of him. Brutus broke the pinfall and took Ivar out with a clothesline.
Erik clobbered Brutus with a forearm shot, only for Julius to take him out with a running knee strike. Brutus dropped Ivar with an Olympic Slam before he and Julius countered the handspring back elbow with a slam. Erik broke the pinfall with a knee strike and dropped Julius on the apron. Xavier Woods distracted Erik while Kofi Kingston tripped Ivar atop the turnbuckle. The Creeds took out Ivar with the Brutus Bomb to pick up the win.
WINNERS: Creed Brothers at 10:27
(Pomares’ Analysis: A decent tag match with a kind of unnecessary distraction finish. I really don’t think this New Day and War Raiders feud needs to go on much longer, but it feels like this rematch won’t take place anytime soon.)
– Backstage, Seth Rollins told Bron Breakker that they might think that they have won the battle. Rollins said that they had no idea what he was capable of. Rollins whispered something in Breakker’s ear and told him to have some fun.
[Commercial Break]
– A recap of Logan Paul punching Jey Uso after last week’s show was shown.
– Jey Uso made his way to the ring to address Logan Paul and tell him that he would beat him at Saturday Night’s Main Event. Gunther interrupted to tell Jey that he understood what it felt like to be a champion. Gunther said that Jey being a champion wasn’t natural to him and confirmed that he would get the next title shot after Saturday Night’s Event. He said that he would remind Jey of what his place was, only for Jey to tell him that he was already in his place and would remain on it.
(Pomares’ Analysis: Decent stuff to start the build to a Gunther and Jey rematch. I’m not sure I needed to see them run it back, but it works fine as a TV match. I do think it’s funny that this segment kind of undermined the Logan Paul match at Saturday Night’s Main Event.)
– A short video package was shown, featuring numerous photos of Sabu’s work throughout the years.
[Commercial Break]
– Backstage, Jackie Redmond interviewed Ludwig Kaiser about his lack of progress throughout 2025. They were immediately interrupted by a noise coming from behind the camera. The camera revealed Bron Breakker standing tall next to a beaten down Jey Uso.
(3) AJ STYLES vs. FINN BÁLOR (w/JD McDonagh & Carlito)
AJ put Finn in a wrist lock and put him in a headlock and sent him out of the ring with a dropkick, as WWE Raw went to a commercial break.
[Commercial Break]
Back from break, AJ dropped Finn with a backbreaker and a snap suplex for a two count. AJ crushed Finn with a knee drop and nailed him with a chop to the chest, only for Finn to drop him onto the top rope. Finn stomped AJ’s neck and targeted his ribs with forearm strikes. AJ broke an abdominal stretch and took Finn down with a clothesline, setting him up for a sliding clothesline. AJ nailed Finn with an Ushigoroshi, but he kicked out at two. AJ kicked Finn away before they knocked each other off their feet with clotheslines at the same time, as WWE Raw went to commercials.
[Commercial Break]
Back from break, AJ planted Finn with a superplex before they started exchanging right hands. AJ blocked a Pele kick and put Finn in the Calf Crusher, until he was able to reach the ropes. Finn dropped AJ with an elbow drop, followed by a sling blade and a shotgun dropkick. Finn missed the Coup de Grace, allowing AJ to trap him in the Calf Crusher again. AJ stopped Finn from reaching the ropes and floored him with the Styles Clash for a nearfall. AJ knocked JD off the apron and hit Carlito with a sliding knee strike, but Finn countered his Phenomenal Forearm with 1918 for a two count. Penta showed up to take Carlito and JD out with a high crossbody and a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker. Penta spiked Carlito with a Destroyer while AJ knocked Finn out with the Phenomenal Forearm.
WINNER: AJ Styles at 16:59
(Pomares’ Analysis: A pretty strong match that got quite good by the end, but probably didn’t need to go 17 minutes. The build for Finn leaving the group has been fine, but I’m really not excited to continue seeing the same shenanigans from Judgment Day for the next couple of months.)
– A recap of Lyra Valkyria defeating Becky Lynch at Backlash was shown.
[Commercial Break]
[HOUR THREE]
– Becky Lynch made her way to the ring to claim that Lyra Valkyria was the loser because she ended the night in the hospital. Lynch said that she has raised Lyra’s stock and made her matter more in the last three weeks than ever before. Lynch said that she was for the people and she was carried by them to the main event of WrestleMania. She said that the people saw themselves in her, until she won and the fans couldn’t see themselves anymore. Lynch said that she didn’t have to listen to the people tell her what she was. Lynch said that she got tired of hearing those lies from everyone, including Lyra. She said that she would be what the people said and proclaimed that she was selfish, greedy and cutthroat. Lynch warned everyone in the back that they would find out what it was like to be held back by her.
(Pomares’ Analysis: A top-notch promo from Becky Lynch who has been on a killer run since her heel turn. I’m fairly confident she’s winning the belt when Lyra returns, but for the time being it would be cool to see her take on the rest of the division.)
– A video package was shown, featuring Rusev calling out the people that still seeked the people’s approval. Rusev said that it would hurt him to hurt his brothers, but it would be worth it.
– Backstage, Akira Tozawa asked Adam Pearce to give a match with Rusev, but Pearce refused to do it because Tozawa wasn’t cleared. Sheamus showed up to tell Tozawa that he respected what he did before asking Pearce to give him a match with Grayson Waller next week.
– It was confirmed that AJ Styles & Penta would face Finn Bálor & JD McDonagh; Sheamus would take on Grayson Waller; and Jey Uso would battle Bron Breakker in a non-title match.
– Giulia and Roxanne Perez made their way to the ring, ahead of their match against Iyo Sky and Rhea Ripley.
[Commercial Break]
(4) IYO SKY & RHEA RIPLEY vs. ROXANNE PEREZ & GIULIA
Sky knocked Perez down with a Thesz Press, forcing her to roll into the ropes. Sky put Perez in a headlock and knocked Giulia off the apron. Perez attacked Sky from behind, setting her up for a pair of strikes in the corner. Giulia pressed Sky’s head into the ropes and Perez hit her with a knee strike. Ripley pulled Perez into the ring and sent her out with a dropkick. Giulia hit Sky with a neck twist, only for Sky to shut her down with a dropkick. Perez pulled Ripley off the apron while Giulia caught Sky with a jawbreaker. Ripley caught Giulia, but Perez drove her into the ring post with a dropkick. Sky blasted Perez with a suicide dive, only for Giulia to take her out with a dropkick, as WWE Raw went to its final commercial break.
[Commercial Break]
Back from break, Sky kicked Perez away and sent Giulia out of the ring, reaching Ripley for the hot tag. Ripley laid Perez out with clotheslines and a thrust kick, followed by a release German suplex. Ripley nailed Perez with a Razor’s Edge and a basement dropkick for a two count. Perez blocked an avalanche Razor’s Edge and took Ripley down with an avalanche hurracarrana for a two count. Perez knocked Sky off the apron while Giulia cracked Ripley with a headbutt. Giulia hit Ripley with a suplex, setting her up for a springboard moonsault from Perez.
Perez put Ripley in a sleeper hold, until Ripley shut her down with a facebuster. Sky got the hot tag to shut Giulia down with a missile dropkick. Perez spiked RIpley with a Satellite DDT before receiving a dropkick from Sky. Giulia surprised Sky with an inside cradle, but Sky responded with a roll-through into a double stomp. Sky crushed Giulia with a moonsault, only for Perez to break the pinfall. Sky blocked a Russian leg sweep from Perez and took Giulia out with an assisted dropkick. Perez missed a strike, allowing Sky to shut her down with a springboard dropkick.
Giulia swept Ripley off her feet and planted Sky with an avalanche Butterfly suplex. Giulia laid Sky out with the Northern Lights Bomb, but Ripley broke the pinfall. Ripley took Perez out with an enzuigiri, only for Giulia to blast her with a knee to the face. Sky hit Giulia with a double underhook backbreaker and Ripley got the blind tag. Perez accidentally took Giulia out with a high crossbody before receiving a roundhouse kick from Sky. Ripley cracked Giulia with a headbutt, setting her up for the Riptide and the win.
WINNERS: Iyo Sky & Rhea Ripley at 14:00
– After the match, Rhea Ripley and Iyo Sky faced off while standing tall.
(Pomares’ Analysis: Great main event to seemingly put an end to this mini-feud. This did a lot for the women’s division, in spite of the non-finishes we got a handful of times. Sky vs. Ripley is a major title match that they could easily main event a whole PPV if they wanted. As for Perez and Giulia, they looked great here, especially Perez who has been ready for a call-up for a long time.)
Advertised Matches & Appearances
- Iyo Sky & Rhea Ripley vs. Roxanne Perez & Giulia
- A.J. Styles vs. Finn Balor
- War Raiders vs. The Creed Brothers
- Penta vs. Chad Gable
- C.M. Punk to appear
- Jey Uso to speak
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