By Jason Powell, ProWrestling.net Editor (@prowrestlingnet)
WWE Raw (Episode 1,681)
Quebec City, Quebec, at Centre Videotron
Streamed live August 11, 2025, on Netflix
[Hour One] Raw opened with a recap of Seth Rollins cashing in the Money in the Bank contract and beating CM Punk for the World Heavyweight Championship at SummerSlam. They also showed footage of the Rollins and LA Knight angle, and the show closing angle with Rollins and his crew laying out Knight, Roman Reigns, and CM Punk…
Michael Cole checked in on commentary and was shown at the broadcast table with Corey Graves. Cole shared the news that Naomi was not medically cleared for her scheduled Women’s World Championship match with Iyo Sky…
CM Punk made his entrance while being introduced by ring announcer Alicia Taylor. Cole said Punk held the World Heavyweight Championship just five minutes before Rollins successfully cashed in the MITB contract.
There were loud chants for Punk while his music played, and after it stopped. Punk said the fans made it hard for him to be angry, but then he thinks about how there should be gold around his waist.
“I have a Seth Rollins problem,” Punk said. He added that Rollins is trying his best to be CM Punk, yet failing miserably. Punk recalled becoming a champion for the first time in over a dozen years in WWE. Punk said if the fans thought he was relentless in pursuit of his goals and obsessed with becoming champion, he’s even more possessed when it comes to regaining the title.
Punk recalled the saying hate the player, not the game. Punk said he doesn’t hate the game because he’s cashed in before, but he still hates the player Rollins. Punk said Rollins wouldn’t have to pretend to be injured, because he would get his hands on him and break his leg.
LA Knight’s entrance music played and he headed to the ring. Knight held his hand out for a handshake, which Punk accepted. Knight said Punk was robbed at SummerSlam and deserves his rematch. “Yeah,” Punk said in Knight style.
Knight added a “but.” Knight recalled Punk attacking Rollins during his title match last week. Knight said he understood, but it was the wrong place, wrong time. Knight said he and Punk don’t have a problem, and he’d like to keep it that way. Knight asked Punk to go after Rollins after the bell rings. Knight said Punk will get his rematch after he gets his.
Punk asked Knight if he thought he was going to become champion after Rollins “Stomped your head like a coconut.” Punk said you’re welcome for saving Knight’s career. Punk told Knight to get to the back of the line.
Knight said that when he thinks of what Punk did, “thank” isn’t the word he wants to put before “you.” Knight recalled Punk saying there are levels to this. Knight said Punk isn’t on his level. Knight said he would do Punk a favor by forgetting that last week happened as long as Punk didn’t let it happen again.
Knight said the second favor was that after he beats Rollins and wins the World Heavyweight Championship, Punk can be his first successful title defense. Punk said he didn’t want a Knight problem because they both have a Rollins problem. Punk said he’s the best in the world.
“Ladies and gentlemen,” Paul Heyman said before walking onto the stage with Bron Breakker and Bronson Reed, who had a second pair of Roman Reigns’ shoes around his neck. Heyman mocked the French fans by saying a few words in French, then saying that he’d do whatever it took to get out of their province so he could avoid their guttural language. Funny.
Heyman told Knight he should avoid getting into the favor business with Punk. Heyman said doing so will take years off your life and cost you your Tribal Chief. Punk cut off Heyman, saying someone was going to get punched in the face tonight. Punk told Breakker and Reed to come on down.
Heyman said he did teach Punk well. Heyman said they could make it Punk and Knight vs. Breakker and Reed tonight. Knight said they weren’t looking for Breakker and Reed. Punk cut off Knight and said they accepted the challenge. Knight said Punk doesn’t talk for him, but he accepted the challenge.
Heyman was ready to head backstage, but Breakker started walking toward the ring. Heyman and Reed talked down Breakker…
Powell’s POV: A solid opening segment that established some tension between Punk and Knight, their mutual desire to get their hands on Rollins, and the tag team match for later in the show.
The broadcast team expressed hope that Raw General Manager Adam Pearce would make the tag team match. They also recapped three El Grande Americanos appearing together last week…
Finn Balor spoke with Raquel Rodriguez, Roxanne Perez, and JD McDonagh inside the Judgment Day clubhouse. Dominik Mysterio showed up with El Grande Americano (Ludwig Kaiser). The others wondered why Dom brought Americano with him.
Balor pulled Dom aside and said he’s good at reading the room, and the others don’t want El Grande there. Dom spoke about using Americano at AAA Triplemania. Balor said it would be great if Americano could help Dom bring the AAA Mega Championship to the clubhouse.
Dom and Americano headed out. Balor suggested that Rodriguez and Perez go speak with Pearce about the WWE Women’s Tag Team Titles…
AJ Styles made his entrance for a tag team match with Dragon Lee vs. Dom and Americano heading into the first break… [C] Graves hyped AAA Triplemania for the WWE YouTube page on Saturday at 8CT/9ET. Cole hyped El Hijo del Vikingo vs. El Grande Americano vs. Dominik Mysterio vs. Dragon Lee as the Triplemania main event…
Dominik Mysterio made his entrance wearing a mask that he removed as he walked to the ring. Americano was waiting at ringside for Dom. Cole said Graves and JBL will deliver the English commentary for Triplemania…
1. AJ Styles and Dragon Lee vs. Dominik Mysterio and El Grande Americano. Lee’s entrance was not televised. He hit a suicide dive before the bell. Back inside the ring a short time later, Lee powerbombed Dom, who rolled out of the ring. Both heels were on the floor heading into a break. [C]
The heels took offensive control. Dom ran Lee into the ring steps. Americano tied Lee’s mask to the bottom rope. The referee freed Lee. Dom put his lucha mask on and tagged in. Dom hit a seated Lee with a dropkick in the corner of the ring and then ripped his own mask off. [C]
Americano was on the ropes with Lee, who tied him up in a tree of woe before double stomping him. Lee crawled toward his corner, but Dom pulled Styles off the apron. Styles chased Dom and sent him into the timekeepers’ area. Lee hit a German suplex on Americano, superkicked him, and then made the hot tag to Styles.
A short time later, Lee monkey flipped Dom into a Styles Clash. Styles had Lee go up top, but Americano returned and sent Lee crashing to the floor. Americano clotheslined Styles over the top rope. Americano pulled out his metal plate, but Styles caught him with a kick. The metal piece fell to the floor. Dom put his mask on and put the metal piece inside. Styles rolled up Americano, who kicked out, and then Dom headbutted Styles from the apron. Americano rolled up Styles and got the three count.
Dominik Mysterio and El Grande Americano defeated AJ Styles and Dragon Lee in 16:40.
Powell’s POV: A lengthy match with a mildly surprising outcome. The heels winning wasn’t all that shocking, but I didn’t expect to see Styles take the loss for his team. It made sense, though, given that the other three wrestlers will be in the AAA Mega Championship match at AAA Triplemania on Saturday, and because it puts more heat on Dom in his ongoing feud with Styles. I wonder if the match going longer than anticipated is because of changes caused by Naomi not being medically cleared for her advertised World Heavyweight Championship match with Iyo Sky.
Footage aired from earlier in the day of Sami Zayn asking Adam Pearce for a chance to win the World Heavyweight Championship. Pearce said he couldn’t make any promises. He said Zayn had a match with Rusev tonight, and they could talk afterward.
Sheamus showed up and said Pearce wanted to see him. Pearce told Sheamus that he couldn’t have a repeat of what happened between him and Rusev last week. Zayn told Sheamus the match meant a lot to him and asked him not to get involved. Sheamus gave Zayn his word, then said the Bulgarian bastard would be his the second match ended…
Sami Zayn made his entrance… [C] A graphic listed some upcoming Raw and Smackdown dates…
Backstage, Iyo Sky expressed disappointment to Adam Pearce about her match with Naomi being postponed. Pearce said he would let Sky know more once he heard anything. Raquel Rodriguez and Roxanne Perez showed up and mocked Sky before asking Pearce about opportunities. Sky said she came for a fight, and said she could find a partner. Pearce booked the match…
A graphic listed Sami Zayn, Kevin Owens, The Quebecers, Pat Patterson, Stan Stasiak, and Rick Martel as WWE wrestlers who came from Quebec…
2. Rusev vs. Sami Zayn. Rusev’s entrance was not televised. The home province crowd was hot for Zayn, who hit an Arabian Press moonsault.
[Hour Two] Back in the ring, Rusev came back with an uranage slam. [C] Zayn went for a Helluva Kick, but Rusev cut him off with a kick of his own. Rusev tossed Zayn over the top rope to the apron. Rusev grabbed Zayn from behind and hit him with a variation of Sheamus’s Ten Beats. Zayn fired up out of nowhere and hit an exploder suplex into a corner of the ring.
When Zayn set up for a Helluva Kick, he was stopped by Solo Sikoa, Talla Tonga, JC Mateo, and Tonga Loa. Mateo and Loa pulled Zayn to the floor and roughed him up while Solo barked orders. WWE producers arrived, and then Solo’s crew split.
Sami Zayn fought Rusev to an apparent no-contest in roughly 10:30.
Shemaus showed up on the other side of the ring and attacked Rusev. Sheamus got the better of Rusev and ran him through the crowd and out of the arena bowl. Zayn was still down and being looked at by producers… [C]
Powell’s POV: I guess the idea is that this is payback for Zayn beating Solo in a non-title match on Friday’s Smackdown. I suspect this will lead to Solo vs. Zayn for the U.S. Title at the Clash in Paris premium live event, but nothing is official.
Pearce and security led Solo’s crew out of the building. Pearce used his phone to reach out to Smackdown General Manager Nick Aldis, but he ended the call when a referee arrived and informed him that they had separated Rusev and Sheamus. Pearce questioned whether it was true after last week and sent the referee to find out.
Kofi Kingston, Xavier Woods, and Grayson Waller approached Pearce. Woods was upset because Penta ruined his $12,000 hat. Pearce said Woods could take it up with Penta in a match on next week’s show, and then stormed away…
A Bronson Reed promo video aired. He said he became a big star because he attacked Seth Rollins. Reed said he earned Rollins’ respect and was invited into The Vision. Reed said he doesn’t want Roman Reigns’ respect. He said he punked out Reigns twice, and the only reason it hasn’t happened a third time is because Reigns hasn’t stepped up. Reed said it will keep happening until Roman acknowledges his Tribal Thief…
Iyo Sky was shown walking backstage when she encountered The Kabuki Warriors. Kairi Sane said they were sorry about Sky’s title match. Asuka said they could be in Sky’s corner. Sky said she beat Roxanne Perez before and could handle her again. Sky made her entrance… [C]
Powell’s POV: My mistake. I thought they set up a tag team match earlier, but they are going with Sky vs. Perez in a singles match.
3. Iyo Sky vs. Roxanne Perez (w/Raquel Rodriguez). Perez’s entrance was not televised. Perez escaped a submission hold and then pie-faced Sky. Iyo returned the favor by escaping a Perez submission hold and then hitting her with a Shotei palm strike.
Sky sent Perez to the floor. Rodriguez checked on Perez. Sky hit them both with a suicide dive, but Rodriguez took the majority of the contact. Perez got up, hit Sky from behind, and then ran her into the ring steps. [C]
Perez jumped from the middle rope into a Sky dropkick. Sky went to the apron and kicked Perez before going up top and drilling her with a missile dropkick. Sky played to the crowd and then hit the Bullet Train Attack (double knees) in the corner, which led to a near fall.
Perez battled back and hit a cartwheel that she capped off by driving her knees into Sky. Perez went for her finisher, but Sky stuffed it. Sky went for double knees, but Perez moved. Perez raked the eyes of Sky while the referee was putting the ring skirting back after Perez had pulled it. Perez hit a Shining Wizard.
A short time later, Sky hit an Asai moonsault onto Perez and Rodriguez. Back in the ring, Sky went for Over The Moonsault, but Perez put her feet up. Perez motioned for Rodriguez, who went to the apron and distracted the referee.
Asuka and Iyo Sky ran out and held Perez against the ropes. Sky tried to take advantage of it, but Perez broke free, and Sky stopped short of hitting her allies. Perez shoved Sky into Asuka and Sane to knock them off the apron, then rolled up Sky and held her tights while getting the three count…
Roxanne Perez beat Iyo Sky in 15:40.
Powell’s POV: A really good match until the rough moonsault spot. Perez put her feet up, but it looked like Sky still managed to come down hard on top of her. Putting that aside, it’s interesting that Asuka and Sane came out to help even though Sky said she would handle it on her own, and that was followed by Sky stopping just short of hitting them.
Jackie Redmond interviewed Jey Uso and mentioned that he missed Raw last week. Jey said it hurt him to miss last week’s Raw, but he had to handle family business. Jey said receipts are coming. He put Bronson Reed and Seth Rollins on notice.
LA Knight interrupted the interview and said a lot of people felt Jey was conspicuous by his absence. Knight said some of those people were saying Jey must really want to get out of Roman Reigns’ shadow because he didn’t show up. Knight said he didn’t believe it. Knight said everybody wants the World Heavyweight Championship, but the line starts behind him. Jey welcomed Knight to Raw and gave a Yeet…
Separate shots aired of Women’s Intercontinental Champion Becky Lynch and her challenger, Maxxine Dupri, who was accompanied by Akira Tozawa and Natalya… [C] Cole hyped the WWE podcast schedule, including Jelly Roll on Cody Rhodes’ show…
Iyo Sky bickered with Asuka while Kairi Sane tried to play peacemaker. Asuka shoved Sky and stormed away, leaving Sky and Sane both looking shocked. Sane looked torn, then ran off in Asuka’s direction…
Powell’s POV: There we go! I’m all for heel Asuka feuding with Iyo Sky if that’s where this is going.
Maxxinne Dupri was in the ring while footage aired of the angle that set up her title match. Becky Lynch made her entrance to her new theme song…
4. Becky Lynch vs. Maxxine Dupri (w/Natalya, Akira Tozawa) for the Women’s Intercontinental Championship. Cole played up the idea of Lynch taking Dupri lightly based on some social media videos that Lynch released. There were light dueling chants for both wrestlers.
Lynch put Dupri down and then told her to get out of her ring. Lynch held the ropes open and told Dupri that she didn’t deserve to be in it. Dupri teased leaving, but then took Lynch down with an arm drag. Lynch avoided a dropkick and then worked over Dupri. “You’re a bully,” Natalya yelled at Lynch from ringside.
Lynch set up for her Manhandle Slam, but Dupri countered into a Stunner. Dupri caught Lynch in an ankle lock. Cole credited the hold to the time that Dupri spent with Chad Gable. Dupri threw punches and kicks at Lynch until the referee pulled her back. Lynch went to the floor. Dupri hit her with a baseball slide.
Dupri threw Lynch back inside the ring and then hit a crossbody block for a near fall. Dupri set up for a Sharpshooter, but Lynch avoided it. Dupri caught Lynch with a spin kick and rolled her up for two. Lynch reversed it, but the referee caught her holding the ropes. Dupri rolled up Lynch again, but Lynch countered into the Disarmer and got the submission win.
Becky Lynch defeated Maxxine Dupri in 5:35 to retain the Women’s Intercontinental Championship.
Afterward, Natalya and Tozawa checked on Dupri. Lynch threw a cheap shot kick at Natalya…
Powell’s POV: Dupri had some fans on her side, but it didn’t seem like anyone truly bought into her hope spots. This was fine if it was merely a stepping stone to Lynch facing Natalya, as the post match cheap shot seemed to suggest.
Seth Rollins spoke with Bron Breakker, Bronson Reed, and Paul Heyman inside their dressing room. Rollins mocked CM Punk and LA Knight having issues with him. Rollins said the night was about Breakker and Reed, so he was leaving. Rollins told Heyman to hit him up on the jet…
CM Punk was shown walking backstage… [C] Cole hyped tickets for Clash in Paris and the next day’s Raw…
A Bayley promo video aired. She said she didn’t know how she got to where she is now. She said she’s been doing this for almost 13 years and has never felt the way she does not. She said she wants more, but feels less, then said she wants more and feels nothing. She said the Role Model name meant something before she used it. She said she was treated like one before she saw herself as one, but she eventually realized she could make a change and be an asset to the business.
Bayley said now she’s by herself. She said she felt everything that led up to where she is now got her nowhere. She said she had no championship and couldn’t remember the last time she felt proud of herself. Bayley said it’s her fault. The camera got blurry and then cut to black after she took a deep breath. There was a maniacal sound effect that played…
[Hour Three] Jackie Redmond interviewed Lyra Valkyria in the backstage area. Valkyria said she hopes Bayley is okay. Valkyria said she stood behind what she said last week, though, because they need to go their separate ways. Valkyria said it’s not her fault…
Powell’s POV: Okay, so is Bayley’s character taking a demented turn? Is Lyra borrowing the “It’s not my fault” line from Snitsky and turning it into her own heel motto? I’m not sure where this is going, but there are some interesting possibilities.
Iyo Sky was shown walking backstage shen she was approached by Stephanie Vaquer, who told her that she wasn’t the only one who was promised a title match. Vaquer walked away.
Rhea Ripley showed up and told Sky that she was sorry for her. She said she was looking forward to Sky facing Naomi. Sky said Perez shouldn’t have beaten her. Ripley agreed. Ripley questioned if Sky can trust Asuka and Sane. Sky said she knew what Ripley was saying, and she didn’t appreciate it…
Graves hyped that Drew McIntyre will appear on Friday’s Smackdown to address his attack on Cody Rhodes…
CM Punk and LA Knight made separate entrances for the main event. Bron Breakker and Bronson Reed came out with Paul Heyman…
5. CM Punk and LA Knight vs. Bron Breakker and Bronson Reed (w/Paul Heyman). Punk and Knight were debating something in their corner. The heels spotted it and attacked them before the bell. The referee rewarded them for it by calling for the bell once Reed and Knight were alone in the ring. The babyfaces battled back and took turns trying to clothesline Reed over the top rope. They eventually joined forces and cleared Reed from the ring with a double clothesline. [C]
Later, Breakker hit his leaping clothesline from the apron to send Knight over the broadcast table before another break. [C] Knight was isolated by the heels. Reed put Breakker in electric chair position, and then Breakker hit a bulldog from the top rope in a tribute to his father and uncle.
Punk took a hot tag. Punk got Breakker down and hit him with a top rope elbow drop. Punk removed his t-shirt and signaled for his GTS finisher. Seth Rollins ran in and attacked Punk for the DQ finish.
CM Punk and LA Knight defeated Bron Breakker and Bronson Reed by DQ in 16:25.
The heel trio roughed up the babyfaces until they were stopped by entrance music. Jey Uso entered via the stage with a chair. Breakker met Jey in the entrance aisle and was put down with some chair shots. Jey entered the ring. Reed punched the chair out of Jey’s hand. Jey worked over Reed with punches, picked up the chair, and cleared him from the ring with a chair shot to the back.
Adam Pearce walked onto the stage and said it would be easy to be angry with Rollins because he’s a liar and a master manipulator who interferes in main events and tries to injure wrestlers. Pearce said he wouldn’t be angry, he’d looked at it as an opportunity.
Pearce announced that Rollins will defend the World Heavyweight Championship against Jey Uso, LA Knight, and CM Punk in a Fatal Four-Way match at the Clash in Paris premium live event.
In the ring, Knight wasn’t happy and ended up pushing and shoving with Punk, who tackled him and threw punches at him. Knight reversed it and threw punches at Punk until Jey pulled him off. Knight hit Jey with a back elbow. Punk hoisted up Knight, who slipped away and shoved him into a spear from Breaker, who was joined in the ring by Rollins and Reed.
Breakker went to ringside, got a running start, and then speared Knight. In the ring, Reed hit a Death Valley Driver on Jey, then followed up with a Tsunami. Rollins had Breakker roll Knight back in the ring, and then Rollins hit a Stomp on Knight. Rollins followed up with a Stomp on Uso.
Breakker and Reed held Punk on the mat while Rollins told him that he would never hold the World Heavyweight Championship. Rollins left Punk lying with a Stomp. Rollins held up his title belt while the executive producer credits were shown, and the show ended around the two-hour and thirty-minute mark…
Powell’s POV: Another shitty finish to a WWE television main event. It seemed like such an obvious swerve when Rollins claimed he was leaving the building that I thought they might actually go in a different direction. Unfortunately, they took the usual approach to avoiding a clean finish by going with blatant outside interference for the throwaway DQ. They make it tough to be excited about the four-way match announced for Clash in Paris. Why would anyone think that it won’t feature a bunch of outside interference before Rollins retains given that there are no disqualifications in four-way matches?
Overall, though, this was an enjoyable show with some quality matches and some interesting storyline developments. I will be back shortly with my weekly same-night audio review of Raw. Dot Net Members (including our Patreon patrons). Let me know what you thought of the show by grading the show below.
So, there are no WWE fan boys frothing at the mouth and angry that this was the 5th DQ finish of main event in a 6 week period? No complaining about the constant interference in almost every mathc? No complaints of a green wrestling getting a 5 min title shot for no reason? No outrage for WWE dropping Cena’s heel turn “just because?”
I know if some other wrestling company did any of these things, this comment sections, featuring one Awfulone, would strokin each other’s ego and disdain with their vitriol.
LA Knight is hooorrrrible! He gets lost in middle of saying absolutely nothing.
How is this tool bag still around?