WWE RAW RESULTS (4/13): Keller’s report on final WrestleMania build including Roman Reigns, CM Punk, Gunther, Seth Rollins, Oba Femi, Brock Lesnar

By Wade Keller, PWTorch editor


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WWE RAW RESULTS
APRIL 13, 2026
SACRAMENTO, CALIF. AT GOLDEN 1 CENTER
STREAMED LIVE ON NETFLIX
REPORT BY WADE KELLER, PWTORCH EDITOR

Commentators:  Michael Cole, Corey Graves

Ring Announcer: Alicia Taylor

Attendance: WrestleTix reported 11,279 were distributed as of showtime; arena set up for 11,548. The arena has a capacity of 19,000 spectators when configured for concerts. The last time they were there, on Oct. 20 last fall, they drew 10,106.


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[HOUR ONE]

-They opened with Roman Reigns speaking about C.M. Punk. He said he told him to cherish is relevancy while he could but since then he’s lied. He said he did what he thought he would, trying to revise the Tribal Chief’s history. He said the fans lived through it all, so he exposed himself as a hypocrite. Clips aired of Punk’s promo directed at Reigns. Then they played Pat McAfee’s promo from Smackdown where he called Punk a fraud, saying he has 283 things for sale and when the TKO merch check comes through, he doesn’t use it to buy tickets to needy families for WrestleMania, plus the Saudi Arabia dig. Reigns said he likes Pat, but never in the world has a punter run his mouth to him. He said nobody believes in him. “It’s not 2012 anymore,” he said. He said the fans trust him and believe in him. He said he’d give him one chance in the last segment to tell the truth “or I will.” The segment closed with: “This message has been approved by The Tribal Chief.”

-They cut backstage to a nodding and smiling Punk as Michael Cole introduced the show. They showed Stephanie Vaquer, Chaerlotte & Alexa Bliss, and Gunther backstage. Then they went to an aerial shot of Sacramento, Calif. and cheering fans outside the arena earlier.

-A recap aired of the Brock Lesnar-Oba Femi contract signing.

-Raw G.M. Adam Pearce stood mid-ring with Paul Levesque. He said to ensure the Oba vs. Lesnar match takes place as scheduled, he is having them sign the contract for the match individually. Paul Heyman interrupted and he said it’s WrestleMania fight week, meaning no one needs to even get close to The Beast. Lesnar then came out to his music. Cole noted Lesnar showed fear and retreated last week. He said Oba might have his number. Corey Graves said it’s not fight night yet. He said Lesnar excels and makes his money in the ring in a sanctioned match. Cole noted it will happen on “ESPN proper.” (He should really explicitly explain that means the traditional cable channel.)

After Lesnar entered the ring, he signed the contract. Heyman said history was made and it might as well be a Nigerian Death Warrant. Lesnar yanked the mic away from Heyman said, “You won’t even know his name after this weekend!” Heyman said Oba-Lesnar is “the real main event of WrestleMania.” He said there is going to be a winner and a loser. He said the loser’s name is Oba Femi. He said Lesnar is “the greatest combat sports athlete in history.” Lesnar left the ring and walked to the back. Heyman caught up to him.

-They cut to Cole and Graves at ringside. Graves said it was a brilliant decision by Pearce to have them sign separately. They shifted to footage of Logan Paul shoving IShowSpeed into L.A. Knight at ringside last week, followed by Knight and the Usos going after IShowSpeed and then The Vision helping protect IShowSpeed followed by Pearce making the six-man match official.

-They showed emoty arena footage of IShowSpeed telling Logan and Theory that he’s not actually a wrestle. Logan said that doesn’t matter and “doubt looks disgusting on you, brother.” He told him to lock in. Theory told him things are going to be worse for him without them watching his back. It shifted to a vignette with music and slo-mo footage of IShowSpeed beginning to train in the ring.

-Charlotte made her way to the ring, accompanied by Bliss. [c]

-They showed ongoing construction of the WrestleMania set at the stadium in Las Vegas.

(1) CHARLOTTE FLAIR (w/Bayley) vs. LYRA VALKYRIA (w/Bayley)

Lyra was already in the ring. The bell rang 21 minutes into the hour. Cole noted Nikki Bella was still recovering from an ankle injury and was hoping to be ready by Sunday. He said this was the first one-on-one match with Lyra and Charlotte. Lyra scored an early two count after a leaping spin wheel kick. She leg swept Charlotte to the ring apron and then wrecking ball kicked her to the floor. She played to the crowd and then flung herself toward Charlotte at ringside. Charlotte stepped aside and kicked her. Charlotte celebrated as they cut to a break at 3:00. [c]

Lyra landed a top rope legdrop to the back of Charlotte’s neck for a two count. She went for a second rope moonsault, but Charlotte lifted her knees. When Charlotte went for a figure-four, Lyra turned it into a small package for a two count. They exchanged kicks. Charlotte then landed a top rope moonsault for a near fall at 8:00. Charlotte looked shocked. Lyra leveraged Charlotte’s shoulders down for a near fall. Lyra went on the attack with rapid-fire strikes. Charlotte fired back with a chop to the chest. Lyra caught Charlotte with a fisherman’s suplex for a near fall.

Charlotte ducked a Lyra kick and rolled her up. Bayley tripped up Charlotte’s balance and then Lyra leveraged Charlotte’s shoulders down for three. Cole called it “a massive win for Lyra.”

WINNER: Lyra in 11:00.

(Keller’s Analysis: Why is Lyra winning there “a massive win”? Everyone saw she didn’t win fairly, so she technically won, but what does that actually mean given the nature of the win? How is it massive rather than tainted?)

-Backstage, Knight and the Usos laughed about IShowSpeed when Solo Sikoa and his MFTs walked up to them. Solo said he’s dealing with a lot on Smackdown, and now Tama Tonga is supposed to be there, but isn’t. He asked the Usos why they’re hanging around “with this clown,” Knight. Knight suggested they have a six-man tag tonight. Fans cheered.

-They showed Vaquer walking backstage. [c]

-A commercial aired hyping the Hulk Hogan documentary coming to Netflix.

-Vaquer made her ring entrance. Cathy Kelley began to ask Vaquer about how things have escalated and gotten more personal with her Liv Morgan when Liv jumped Vaquer, knocking her into Kelley. Producers ran in and separated them. Liv screamed, “Let’s go! I knew your mom was trash, but I didn’t know she was raised a little bitch!” Fans oooh’d. Liv threw the mic and screeched. Vaquer said she didn’t want to wait until WrestleMania. She charged into the ring. Producers separated them again.

(Keller’s Analysis: Do they think fans don’t catch onto the strategy of pretending Vaquer’s going to talk but having her interrupted because her promos are weak? And it seemed really silly to have Kelley obviously with a clear view of Liv coming at Vaquer from behind even if the camera was pointed to not show viewers, yet Kelley didn’t react at all to either warn Vaquer or move out of the way. The announcers also had to play dumb, too. WWE thinks they’re being clever, but it just makes everything feel so contrived.)

-Graves commented on the Smackdown match with Iyo Sky vs. Jade Cargill and then Rhea Ripley facing off against her and Jade retreating.

-Kelley asked Sky if she had anything to say about what happened on Friday on Smackdown. Sky said at WrestleMania, no one will be rooting for Ripley more than her. Asuka and Kairi Sane walked up to her. Sky looked startled. Kelley walked away with the mic, but we could still her the wrestlers get into an argument. Asuka told Sky that Ripley is not her family. She said she went into WrestleMania last year as champion, but this year she is just Ripley’s sidekick. Sky told Kairi she didn’t have to stay loyal to Asuka. Asuka then said Kairi will prove herself against Sky tonight. Kairi tried to look brave. Asuka called her a good girl.

-The Usos were in the concourse surrounded by fans and security guys. Their music played and they made their way to the ring. [c]

-Cole said the clip of Logan shoving IShowSpeed into Knight last week has over 428 million views, the most viewed social media highlight in the history of Raw, Smackdown, or NXT. He said it received 268 million viewers on TikTok, the most in WWE history.

(Keller’s Analysis: There are around 342 million people in the U.S. and over 4 billion have access to smart phones and the internet. So that number means if everyone who saw the clip only saw it once, it was the equivalent of 100 million more people than the entire U.S. population, including babies and 90 years olds, and that 1-in-10 people worldwide watched it. Certainly relative to other social media clips, it was massive, but that number is more silly than impressive when you figure what must qualify as a view to get to that total.)

(2) THE USOS & L.A. KNIGHT vs. SOLO SIKOA & TONGA LOA & J.C. MATEO (w/Talla Tonga)

Cole talked about dissension with Tama Tonga and Solo’s crew. He said Tama is the only one who has seemed to push back on Solo’s authority. The bell rang 54 minutes into the hour. Jimmy dove over the top rope and grazed Mateo at ringside, overshooting him mostly. They cut to a very early break. [c]

Back from the break, Solo was in control against Jey. He took a cheap shot at Jimmy, knocking him off the ring apron. C0oe plugged the Andre the Giant battle royal Friday on Smackdown. Knight got the hot-tag and went after Mateo and Loa. Knight landed a top rope elbowdrop on Loa. Mateo broke up the cover by splashing Knight.

[HOUR TWO]

Solo gave Knight a Samoan spike. When Jey dove at Solo at ringside, Solo caught him and threw him onto the announce desk. Tama Tonga then showed up. Solo asked him where he was. Knight then caught a distracted Loa with a BFT for the win. Cole wondered why Tama decided to show up when he did. Cole said they better get their issues worked out before they face The Wyatt Sicks on Smackdown on Friday.

WINNERS: Knight & The Usos in 7:00.

-They went to Cole and Graves at ringside. He said Kelley is being tended to backstage, but it appears she’ll be okay. Cole threw to a video package on McAfee’s promo on Smackdown on Friday. Then Graves and Cole plugged the WrestleMania Saturday main event between Cody Rhodes and Randy Orton. McAfee is standing behind Orton in the graphic.

-Gunther made his entrance. Cole said McAfee knows Gunther extremely well. [c]

-Gunther entered the ring and smiled. Seth Rollins jumped him. He told Gunther he jumped him two weeks in a row, so that’s his receipt. “At WrestleMania, I finish the job!” He told Gunther, who had retreated to the entry stage, to come to the ring and tell him to his face why it’s personal for him and why he’s not just going after him to kiss Heyman’s ass. Gunther returned to the ring and said he is solving Heyman’s problem with a smile on his face because for years, Seth has pissed him off by strutting around claiming to be the best. “You’re not, I am!” he said. He said when he was World Champion, Seth became a useful idiot for Heyman instead of seeking him out. He said he’s setting it straight. “It’s very personal to me to expose that Seth Rollins can’t lace my boots.” They swung wildly at each other. Gunther got the better of Seth and set up a powerbomb, but Seth flipped out of it and kicked Gunther, sending him to ringside. Seth tried to stomp Gunther on the steps, but Gunther moved. [c]

-A commercial aired with John Cena pushing the new Club WWE benefits. He directed people to join the waitlist to become the ultimate insider.

-Cole directed people to become a founding member.

-A vignette aired that closed with a close-up of The Demon’s eyes. Cole said for the first time in three years, The Demon version of Finn Balor returns to face Dominik Mysterio at WrestleMania.

-Dom complained to Pearce about him putting his dad in a match at WrestleMania. He also said he signed a contract to face Balor, not The Demon, so the match is off. Pearce said Rey is getting what he deserves at WrestleMania and so is Dom. Dom said that’s not fair.

-They showed Yahya Adbul-Mateen II from a Netflix series and Dylan Cardwell who plays for the local NBA team in the front row.

-Sky made her entrance. [c]

(3) IYO SKY vs. KAIRI SANE (w/Asuka)

The bell rang 22 minutes into the hour. Kairi settled into early control. Sky made a comeback and took Kairi down at ringside. They cut to a break at 3:00. [c]

Asuka rammed Sky’s head into the ringpost as the ref was looking at Kairi. Ripley charged out as her music played and set up a Rip Tide on Asuka. Jade Cargill attacked Ripley in the aisle. When Sky climbed to the top rope, Asuka knocked her down. Kairi then scored a three count. Graves said the moral of the story is “mind your own business.” Cole said he might be onto something.

WINNER: Kairi in 11:00.

-Cole plugged WWE World. He said Cena was just added to “the stacked line-up.”

-They went to Cole and Graves. Cole said he can’t believe WrestleMania is almost here. (It’s mid-April, Cole!)

-A sponsored highlight package aired on the A.J. Lee-Becky Lynch feud with soundbites from both.

-They showed Oba Femi backstage. [c]

-Cole plugged that Triple H would be a guest on Stephanie McMahon’s podcast, but Triple H would be interviewing Stephanie.

-Triple H was in the ring with Pearce. Pearce held up the contract and said one man had signed it, and the second man would now. Oba made his entrance. Heyman stepped onto the stage as fans chanted “Oba!” Heyman said he’s never seen someone come on the scene and be regarded by fans as the biggest star in the industry so fast. He said he knows to keep his distance. He said Oba is the most violent person to come into WWE since Brock Lesnar. He said he’s the fastest-rising star to the top since Brock. He told the fans their chants for Oba were starting to piss him off. Fans laughed and cheered. He told Oba that it all comes to an end as everything he has built will come crashing down at the hands of Suplex City and an F5. He said Oba will be conquered by Brock. He gave Oba his word that when he needs to rebuild his career after WrestleMania, his door will always be open to Oba Femi.

Oba told Heyman it’s taking everything in him to not beat Heyman’s ass right there. Fans chanted “Beat his ass!” Oba said he could do that, but the scars would heal, whereas if he beats his Beast, those emotional wounds will last forever. Fans cheered. He told him as far as his job opportunity, the door to the only job he wants is the door to WrestleMania. He said two months ago, he and his Beast issued an open challenge to whoever would step up without caring who could. He said there has been 25 years of history that says Lesnar cannot be beat, but he has four weeks of history that says he can.

Oba said Heymann feels it, he feels it, and the fans feel it. He said Heyman has been Lesnar’s mouthpiece, but he has never been an honest one. He said an honest Heyman would have introduced him and said his client is afraid of Oba Femi because he is the bringer of war and the mountain he cannot climb or conquer. He said he will slay the Beast and he will meet his end. “I am the one and I have always been the one,” he said. He said he knows he is the one, Heyman knows it, and the fans do too. Cole said he cannot recall anyone going into a match with Lesnar with as much confidence and a lack of fear as Oba Femi. He said it will kick off WrestleMania Sunday live on ESPN at 6 ET / 3 PT. Oba’s music played and he shook hands with Triple H.

(Keller’s Analysis: That was a hell of promo from Oba.)

-A music video aired with Liv Morgan called “Trouble with Liv Morgan.” Cole noted it debuted earlier in the day.

(Keller’s Analysis: That was pretty cool.)

-Je’Von Evans made his entrance. [c]

(4) JE’VON EVANS & DRAGON LEE vs. RUSEV & J.D. MCDONAGH

The bell rang 58 minutes into the hour. They cut to a break at 3:00.

[HOUR THREE]

Lee landed Snap Dragon suplex but then McDonagh countered mid-air with a standing Spanish fly. Evans broke up the cover by kicking McDonagh. Evans leaped over the top rope onto Rusev at ringside. Cole said the ladder match was going to bve so fun at WrestleMania. Lee gave McDonagh a Styles Clash for the win.

WINNER: Lee & Evans in 8:00.

-Afterward, Rusev attacked Lee. Rey Mysterio came out for the save. Rusev clotheslined Rey and celebrated. Penta charged out to his music and kicked Rusev and then chopped away at him. Rusev landed his signature Machka Kick and then delivered a uranage to a leaping Evans. Rusev then kicked McDonagh. Cole said on Sunday, it will be every man for himself. He put Lee in the Accolade. Cole said Rusev was spectacular. Cole noted the ladder match will be part of the first hour of WrestleMania Sunday on ESPN proper. Rusev pointed at the WrestleMania sign as his music played.

-Cole and Graves ran through the WrestleMania line-up along with the Hall of Fame and then the Raw After WrestleMania.

-Pearce was telling someone that the biggest star ever is hosting WrestleMania. Danhausen walked up and asked if that was Cena. Danhausen demanded to speak to him. Pearce said he’s on the phone. After Danhausen kept hounding him, Pearce said he needed a drink. Danhausen then disappeared.

-Roman Reigns made his ring entrance. Cole said he has dominated WrestleMania for the past decade-plus. [c]

-Reigns’s theme played as he walked around the ring. When the music stopped, fans chanted, “OTC!” Then a “C.M. Punk!” chant started. Neither were crazy loud. Then fans sang “Roman, Roman Reigns!” Reigns soaked it up. As Reigns raised the mic, fans chanted, “OTC!” again. Reigns asked Sacramento to acknowledge him. Punk’s music then played.

Punk made his entrance. Punk amde his way out through the crowd, smiling and shaking hands. Reigns glared at him. Punk stood on the announce desk. Fans chanted, “C.M. Punk!” Punk said he watched the cold open that looked like a political smear campaign put together by Reigns. He said he came out there to tell the truth. He said the fans will be his witnesses and Reigns will be the judge, jury, and executioner. “Tell me when I’m telling lies,” he said. Reigns told Punk as he made his way up the steps, “If you enter the ring, we aren’t going to need these mics.”

Punk stood on the ring apron and eyed Reigns. Some fans chanted, “OTC!” Punk said he’s thought a lot about it over the last couple of weeks. “I hate you,” he said. “I hate you because I envy you.” Reigns looked intrigued. “This is all I ever wanted, this is the only dream I had in my heart since I was a little kid.” He said envy the fact that it was handed to Reigns. He said he hates that he was champion for 1,316 days “because after some self-reflection, I know how hard you worked your ass off to be that great.”

He said he hates how many days he held the title and how many times he has main evented WrestleMania. “Tell me when I’m telling lies, Roman,” he said. “Have I lied?” He said he hates envy and he hates that he feels that way. He brought up Sika. He said he was a great man, a great wrestler, a champion, and a Hall of Famer. He said he loves and respects the old timers. He said he hates that he invoked his father’s name in vein “and I sincerely apologize to you.” Scattered applause.

He entered the ring and walked up to Reigns. “I hate that there’s more than one royal family in professional wrestler, and I hate the fact that I envy that I wasn’t born into a dynasty. I don’t know what having that kind of family is like.” He said he was a misfit who had to find his own family, and he found them in the streets of Sacramento and every VFW or dilapidated Midwest barn and bowling alleys and abandoned churches. He said he found his family there, then traveled the world twice. “I wasn’t born in third base with a silver spoon,” he said. He said he made pro wrestling his home and his family. He said he hates that he feels this way and that he has to share anything with him, let alone his first singles match headlining WrestleMania. “Tell me when I’m telling lies,” he said.

He said he has gold on his shoes and around his waist and late Sunday night after the desert sun has set, he will have gold above his head and the ring announcer will be declaring he is remains the World Title and fans chanting “C.M. Punk!” A “C.M. Punk!” chant broke out. “Tell me when I’m telling lies,” he said. They were six inches apart.

Reigns said that’s probably the truest stuff he’s ever heard him say. “Up until the end,” he said. “Let me tell you something true. I hate you, too.” He said he’s hated him for a long time, but the main reason is because of his relationship with the fans. He said he hopes one day when he leaves, the fans will miss him like they missed him. He said he hopes they cheer for him for ten years like they did for him. “No one can ever take that away from you,” he said. He said on Sunday, the reality is, the time is up. He said he gave him two months of relevancy, but he did nothing with it. He got intense and said it will be “and new!” at the end. He said at Sunday, they begin to fix the mess he started and “we make this place where we had it, at the very top worth every single dollar.” He added, “On Sunday, the Tribal Chief takes over and you along with the whole world, will acknowledge me.”

(Keller’s Analysis: Good final moment for them. They didn’t tear each other down in some immature flame war keeping points. Instead, they build each other up and talked about the stakes that come with the match and the consequences of what happens when either win. That’s what I’ve been advocating they do for weeks.)


JOIN US LIVE ON YOUTUBE TONIGHT FOR THE VIDEO-FORMAT OF OUR LIVE POST-SHOW

PWTorch editor Wade Keller is joined by PWTorch’s Paul Weigle to review WWE Raw LIVE. Join us and let us know your thoughts on Raw during the show.

Email our post-show at wadekellerpodcast@gmail.com with your comments and questions about Raw. We’ll read your emails live during the post-show.

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