WWE Monday Night Raw marked its return on March 3, 2025, with high stakes and thrilling matches leading the charge toward WrestleMania 41. Streaming live on Netflix from the KeyBank Center in Buffalo, New York, the show featured some of the biggest names and matchups, setting the tone for the upcoming pay-per-view.
Commentators Michael Cole and Pat McAfee opened the night with excitement, providing play-by-play for the action-packed evening. One of the highlights was undoubtedly CM Punk, who kicked off the show with a fiery pipebomb promo. Addressing the crowd, he didn't hold back, labeling The Rock as a “bald fraud” and throwing shade at John Cena for selling out after his recent heel turn at Elimination Chamber, where he joined forces with The Rock.
"What kind of man spends twenty years building up credibility only to throw it all away for cheap thrills?" Punk exclaimed, stirring the crowd's emotions and building anticipation for his future interactions with Cena and The Rock.
Following this heated entrance, Punk's tensions with Seth Rollins came to the forefront as the two faced off following Punk's provocations. An all-out brawl broke out, forcing referees and security to rush to separate the two as fan chants of "this is awesome" filled the arena. Their rivalry escalated, as it has been confirmed they will face each other next week inside a steel cage at Madison Square Garden.
The matches began with WWE World Heavyweight Champion Gunther taking on Otis from Alpha Academy. Gunther showcased his dominance, easily defeating Otis with a power bomb, but not without controversy—post-match, Gunther attacked Otis and made his presence felt by powerbombing Akira Tozawa onto him. This sparked another chaotic brawl, which Jey Uso attempted to intervene but ended up being choked out by Gunther, intensifying the feud leading to WrestleMania 41.
Next up, the Women’s Intercontinental Championship match saw current champion Lyra Valkyria successfully defend her title against Ivy Nile. This match had its share of drama as Nile relentlessly targeted Valkyria's leg, but the champion managed to hit her finisher, the Nightwing, securing her victory.
Meanwhile, another exciting tag team match featured the War Raiders defending their titles against The Creed Brothers. Erik and Ivar used their unorthodox and powerful style to fend off the challengers, pulling off the win to retain the World Tag Team Championships.
Then came the night’s main event, which held significant stakes not just for the champion but for the undertones of WrestleMania 41. Rhea Ripley faced off against Iyo Sky for the WWE Women’s World Championship. The match tested the endurance and resilience of both competitors and showcased high-flying tactics and fierce strikes. The crowd was electric as Sky pushed Ripley to her limits, finally capitalizing on Ripley’s moment of distraction resulting from interference with Bianca Belair. The Over the Moonsault from Sky sealed her victory, making her the new Women’s World Champion.
With this victory, Iyo Sky solidified her place as one of the premier talents heading to WrestleMania, where she will face Bianca Belair for the title.
The night also brought other exciting matches and segments, including Ludwig Kaiser calling out Penta only to be interrupted and attacked by the luchador. It suggests more exciting narratives and rivalries are already planned heading toward WrestleMania 41, where the stakes will be higher than ever.
The key theme of the evening was the build toward WrestleMania, with multiple rivalries igniting fires among several top talents. The show ended with shock, surprises, and confirmations of new matchups, indicating fans have much to look forward to.
Next week on Monday Night Raw, the lineup already promises to deliver with Jey Uso squaring off against Grayson Waller, Rey Mysterio and Dragon Lee against The New Day, and the much-anticipated steel cage match between CM Punk and Seth Rollins.