‘WWE Raw’ Review (May 26th 2025)
Welcome to our review of this past Monday’s episode of WWE Raw, right here on Nerdly! Let’s see what went down on the now Netflix-broadcast show…
Match #1: Money in the Bank Triple Threat Ladder Match – Penta def. Chad Gable and Dragon Lee
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
Chad Gable had to take on two luchadores in Penta and Dragon Lee to qualify for the Money in the Bank Ladder Match. Gable was nearly caught in the crosshairs after Lee came out of nowhere to dive onto Penta over the announce table as Gable leaped out of the way. Gable then attacked AAA star El Hijo del Vikingo, his opponent at Worlds Collide, who was sitting at ringside. During the fracas, Lee hit a sit-out powerbomb on the American Made leader, but Gable kicked out. Vikingo retaliated against Gable, kicking him off the top rope and allowing Penta to hit the Penta Driver on Gable to win the match.
My Score: 2.5 out of 5
Match #2: Rusev def. Akira Tozawa
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
Akira Tozawa attempted to stand up to Rusev, who had taken out his tag team partner Otis a few weeks ago. Rusev wrapped up the quick submission win after locking in the Accolade. Rusev refused to relinquish his hold until Sheamus arrived for a staredown as Rusev backed away.
My Score: 0 out of 5
Match #3: Triple Threat Tag Team Match – The New Day def. The Creed Brothers & The War Raiders
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods put the World Tag Team Title on the line against The Creed Brothers and The War Raiders in an explosive Triple Threat Tag Team Match. The New Day tricked The Creed Brothers into thinking they were working together. As the two teams combined to take out The War Raiders, Xavier Woods betrayed The Creeds by rolling up Julius while grabbing the tights to win the match.
My Score: 2.5 out of 5
Match #4: Kairi Sane def. Liv Morgan
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
WWE Women’s Tag Team Champion Liv Morgan took on Kairi Sane in Morgan’s first match back. Sane looked to hit an Insane Elbow, but Roxanne Perez appeared to shove Sane off the top rope. This led to an intense argument between Perez and Raquel Rodriguez at ringside, which distracted Morgan and allowed Sane to win with a surprise rollup.
My Score: 2.5 out of 5
Match #5: Money in the Bank Triple Threat Ladder Match – Seth Rollins def. Sami Zayn & Finn Bálor
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
A place in the Money in the Bank Ladder Match awaited the winner of a Triple Threat Match between Seth Rollins, Sami Zayn and Finn Bálor. Zayn hit a majestic springboard moonsault onto Bálor and Rollins in an homage to the late Sabu. Rollins executed a huge Pedigree on Zayn for the two-count. After Zayn hit a Helluva Kick on The Visionary, Bronson Reed and Bron Breakker appeared to attack Zayn. Jey Uso arrived, however, to offset Rollins’ crew, but he was met with a Spear by Breakker as Reed took out Zayn. Dominik Mysterio tried to help Bálor by bringing a steel chair, but Rollins took advantage by Stomping Bálor onto the steel for the win.
My Score: 3 out of 5
Final Verdict: 2.5/5
This week’s Raw had the ingredients for a standout show but ultimately fell short in execution. CM Punk’s attack on Seth Rollins felt more recycled than shocking, lacking the emotional punch it needed. Liv Morgan’s return was a nice surprise, but her match with Kairi Sane was too short to make an impact. While Penta and Rollins qualifying for Money in the Bank added some stakes, the matches themselves felt rushed. Rusev’s return was underwhelming, beating “jobber” Tozawa with little buildup. Thsnkfully, the Becky / Lyra feud escalated, really generating doo buzz for the duos upcoming title match.
