WWE Raw Results and Reactions: Oba Femi Steals the Show as WrestleMania 42 Looms
Let’s be honest for a second: the “go-home” show before WrestleMania is usually a mixed bag. Sometimes you get an unforgettable brawl that sets the wrestling world on fire, and other times you get three hours of guys pointing intensely at a giant neon sign. But this week, WWE rolled into Sacramento’s Golden 1 Center and actually delivered some genuine heat ahead of WrestleMania 42.
If you were looking for high-art theater, CM Punk and Roman Reigns gave it to you. If you wanted unhinged chaos, Liv Morgan brought a truckload of it. Let’s break down everything that happened on Monday Night Raw and figure out who has the momentum heading into Vegas.
The Beast and The Ruler Keep Their Distance
WWE executive Triple H and Raw general manager Adam Pearce opened the show by playing the roles of stressed-out crossing guards. To prevent a repeat of last week’s absolute demolition derby, Brock Lesnar and Oba Femi were forced to sign their WrestleMania contracts separately.
Lesnar came out with Paul Heyman, scribbled his name, and promised that Femi would be an afterthought by Sunday. It was short, punchy, and exactly what it needed to be. Keeping these two behemoths from touching each other builds the anticipation beautifully.
Valkyria Upsets The Queen (With a Little Help)
Charlotte Flair and Lyra Valkyria finally squared off one-on-one on Raw, and the chemistry was undeniably there. These two could put on a clinic if given twenty uninterrupted minutes. But this is pro wrestling, folks, so uninterrupted minutes are a myth.
Bayley marched down to the ringside to return the favor after Flair ruined her SmackDown match last Friday. The distraction gave Valkyria the opening she needed to roll up The Queen for the win. It’s a classic wrestling trope, but it effectively cranks up the animosity before their Fatal 4-Way tag match this weekend.
Liv Morgan Goes Full Menace on Stephanie Vaquer
If you wanted raw emotion, look no further than Liv Morgan. Stephanie Vaquer was trying to give a standard pre-match interview when Morgan decided to launch a surprise attack with the intensity of a heat-seeking missile.
After a wild brawl that took half the locker room to break up, Morgan dropped a verbal nuke: “I knew your mother was trash, but I didn’t know she raised a little b—h!” Morgan, sporting visible bruises from last week, looked like a total psychopath in the best way possible. This wasn’t a wrestling promo; it felt like a real grudge.
The Usos and Knight Survive The MFTs
Has anyone’s stock plummeted quite as spectacularly over the last year as Solo Sikoa’s? It’s genuinely baffling.This six-man tag match pitted The Usos and LA Knight against Sikoa, JC Mateo, and Tonga Loa. It was a fun, high-energy sprint that the crowd ate up. The heels had it won until Tama Tonga provided an accidental distraction, allowing LA Knight to hit the BFT on Loa for the win. Sikoa and Tonga staring a hole through each other post-match just adds more delicious tension to the Bloodline saga.
Rollins and Gunther Throw Hands
Gunther walked to the ring in his typical stoic fashion, ready to explain his motivations, but Seth Rollins wasn’t having it. The Visionary jumped the Ring General, sparking a brawl that spilled to the floor.
When Gunther finally got a microphone, his reasoning was flawless. He isn’t fighting Rollins to prove he’s the best; he’s doing it because Rollins aligned with Paul Heyman and took the easy way out. Gunther, the wrestling purist, wants to expose Rollins as a fraud. It’s logical, it’s petty, and it sets the stage for what will likely be the match of the weekend.
Kairi Sane Survives a Clown Car of Run-Ins
Iyo Sky took on Kairi Sane in what should have been a heavily featured wrestling showcase. Instead, it turned into an absolute traffic jam of interference.
Just as Sky was building momentum, Asuka intervened. Then Rhea Ripley ran down to make the save. Then Jade Cargill jumped Ripley. While the referee was presumably contemplating a career change, Asuka interfered again, allowing Sane to steal the pinfall. It felt like a forced, messy way to cram as many stars on screen as possible.
Oba Femi is the Absolute Truth
If there was an MVP of this broadcast, it was Oba Femi. The man marched out to sign his half of the contract and was immediately confronted by Paul Heyman.
Heyman, doing what he does best, subtly offered Femi a spot under his managerial wing for when Lesnar inevitably destroys him. Femi didn’t flinch. He grabbed the mic and cut a passionate, star-making promo right in Heyman’s face, reinforcing that he is The Ruler, and he will conquer The Beast. Femi looked entirely at home in the main event spotlight. You can’t teach that kind of presence.
Rusev Loses the Match, Wins the War
In a preview of Sunday’s Intercontinental Championship ladder match, Je’Von Evans and Dragon Lee defeated Rusev and JD McDonagh (with McDonagh eating the pin, because taking pins is basically his superpower at this point).
But the real story happened after the bell. Rusev went absolutely berserk, throwing people around like lawn darts. He dismantled Evans, Lee, Rey Mysterio, and the champion Penta. Rusev looked like a terrifying, unstoppable monster, which is exactly how he should be booked.
Punk, Reigns, and the Art of the Pipebomb
We closed the show with CM Punk and Roman Reigns face-to-face in the ring. No brawling, no sneak attacks—just two guys with microphones who legitimately seem to hate each other.
Punk admitted he envies Reigns for having the WWE machine behind him, and Reigns fired back, hoping the fans miss him as much as they missed Punk when he finally leaves. But the kicker was Reigns saying he was going to take his title back so “we return this place to where it was.” Who is “we”? The Bloodline? Some new alliance? It’s the perfect narrative hook to leave us hanging on before the biggest show of the year. Vegas, buckle up.
