‘WWE Raw’ Review (Aug 18th 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 this week’s show…
Match #1: IYO SKY def. Raquel Rodriguez
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
For the first time, IYO SKY battled Raquel Rodriguez. SKY stunned Roxanne Perez, who was ringside, and Rodriguez with an immense dive to the outside. Rodriguez, however, caught SKY before driving her straight into the ring post. Just when Rodriguez had SKY in place for the Tejana Bomb, SKY countered with a hurricanrana before hitting Over the Moonsault to win the match. After the bout, Perez and Rodriguez looked to beat down SKY until Rhea Ripley saved her.
My Score: 2.5 out of 5
Match #2: Penta def. Xavier Woods
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
After absconding with Xavier Woods’ mourning hat last week, Penta took on Xavier Woods. As Penta was doing his signature pose, Woods bit the fingers of his opponent. Woods impressed from the opening bell, but Penta took out Woods and Grayson Waller with an amazing dive from the top of the turnbuckle to the outside. Woods went for the Honor Roll, but Penta countered with the Penta Driver. Penta was unable to capitalize as Kofi Kingston placed the leg of Woods on the bottom rope. Penta defeated Woods with the Mexican Destroyer.
My Score: 2 out of 5
Match #3: World Tag Team Championship – Finn Bálor & JD McDonagh def. Mr. Iguana & Dragon Lee
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
World Tag Team Champions Finn Bálor and JD McDonagh squared off against Mr. Iguana and Dragon Lee as Mr. Iguana made his Raw in-ring debut. Lee and McDonagh executed Liger Bombs and Poison Ranas to leave each other reeling. Intercontinental Champion Dominik Mysterio got involved, allowing Bálor to hit the Coup de Grace on Lee to retain the title. After the match, AAA Mega Champion El Hijo del Vikingo attacked Mysterio and The Judgment Day, but The Judgment Day stood tall.
My Score: 2 out of 5
Match #4: Women’s Intercontinental Championship – Becky Lynch def. Natalya
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
Women’s Intercontinental Champion Becky Lynch tangled with Natalya after the two got into an altercation last week. Just as Natalya was getting into the match, she appeared to hurt her hand. Despite the injury, Natalya dug deep and nailed a discus clothesline. Eventually, The Man cinched in the Dis-arm-her, forcing Natalya to tap out.
My Score: 2 out of 5
Match #5: Extreme Rules Match – Jey Uso def. Bron Breakker
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
Jey Uso and Bron Breakker collided in a brutal Extreme Rules Match, with a cavalcade of weapons. Uso threw Breakker over the top rope as he landed onto the shopping cart full of objects. Breakker used a trash can to land a body press on Uso onto the announce table. As Breakker was gearing up for a Spear, Uso speared Breakker out of nowhere instead for a two-count. Uso hit an Uso Splash, but Bronson Reed pulled the official out of the ring, preventing Uso from getting the win. LA Knight then attacked Reed before World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins arrived to even the odds for The Vision. CM Punk entered the fray as well, but Rollins raked the eye of Punk to send him into Knight, who went crashing through a table at ringside. Roman Reigns arrived, allowing Jey Uso to hit an Uso Splash onto Breakker through the table, giving Uso the big win.
My Score: 3 out of 5
News of the Night:
- Naomi vacated her title, announcing she is pregnant.
Final Verdict: 2.5/5
This week’s Raw delivered a serviceable but largely middle-of-the-road episode. The show had its bright spots, with some solid in-ring action and story progression sprinkled throughout, but it never fully hit that must-watch level. The pacing dragged in places, and some segments felt like filler – yet while nothing was outright bad, little stood out as great either. Overall, this was a steady but unspectacular show.
