Tag: Monday Night RAW

Rey Mysterio earns WWE Intercontinental Championship match on Raw

Posted on by Vincent Verhei

Rey Mysterio has a lot on his plate these days. Outside the ring, he’s going to a major onscreen character in Mexico. And inside the ring, he’s still in major championship contention.

Over the weekend, Mysterio was named the new General Manager in AAA. Just a few days later, on Monday Night Raw, he earned a shot at the WWE Intercontinental Championship. 

Mysterio defeated Rusev to win the IC title shot. He hung Rusev in the ropes and attempted a 619, but Rusev caught the swinging kick and dragged Mysterio to the middle of the ring to apply the accolade. Mysterio slipped out of the submission hold and hooked a schoolboy for the win. 

Afterwards, Mysterio was attacked by Rusev and Ethan Page. Dragon Lee hit the ring to even the odds, and the babyfaces sent the heels packing.

Penta is the reigning Intercontinental Champion. He won the belt from Rey’s son Dominik Mysterio at Survivor Series: War Games last November, and most recently defended it against Je’Von Evans tonight on Monday Night Raw. 

The elder Mysterio is a two-time former Intercontintal champion himself. He first won the title from John “Bradshaw” Layfield at WrestleMania 25 in 2009. (To date, this remains JBL’s last singles match.) He lost the title to Chris Jericho at Extreme Rules in June that same year, then beat Jericho to win it back in a mask vs. title match The Bash later that month. 

He eventually lost the championship to John Morrison on SmackDown the following September. 

He has unsuccessfully challenged for the title several times since then, most recently in a six-man ladder match at WrestleMania 42. Penta walked in and out of that match as champion. JD McDonagh, Rusev, Dragon Lee, and Evans were the other combatants in the match. 

WWE tag team gets new gimmick on Monday Night Raw

Posted on by Vincent Verhei

WWE fans, say goodbye to Brutus and Julius Creed. No, they were not released. But they did get a new gimmick on Monday Night Raw.

The Original El Grande Americano (the Chad Gable version) was shown walking backstage on Raw when he met two large men in red, white, and blue lucha masks. Michael Cole started to identify them as the Creed Brothers, but Corey Graves quickly corrected him. 

“No, no, no, no, no, Michael Cole,” Graves said. He added a quick word in Spanish, then added “That’s Julio and Bruto, Los Americanos Hermanos.” 

The three men went on to win their debut as a unit, teaming up to defeat El Grande Americano (Ludwig Kaiser) & Rayo & Bravo in a trios match. Julio and Bruto slammed Kaiser into the barricade, allowing Gable to pin Bravo with a top rope headbutt.

The Creeds first got involved in this storyline in last week’s episode of AAA. The two Grande Americanos were signing a contract for a mask vs. mask match when Brutus and Julius—using those names, without masks—attacked Kaiser and put him through a table. 

The new trio have an obvious common thread: all three were very successful amateur wrestlers. Gable won a Minnesota state championship in high school and went on to wrestle in the Pan-American and Olympic games. Julius Creed (real name: Jakob Kasper) won an ACC Championship while wrestling for Duke. Brutus Creed (real name: Drew Kasper) went 30-0 in his final season at Division III Otterbein University, but missed out on the NCAA Championships when they were canceled due to the COVID pandemic. 

Roxanne Perez returns on WWE Monday Night Raw

Posted on by Vincent Verhei

For the first time since the Royal Rumble, Roxanne Perez made her presence known on WWE television. She returned on Monday Night Raw to help Liv Morgan battle Stephanie Vaquer.

Morgan, who won that Rumble match, was in the ring cutting a promo against her WrestleMania opponent Vaquer. She was insulted and threatened the Women’s World Champion, degrading her family in her own native tongue. Vaquer came out to assault Morgan and had the upper hand, but Perez came through the crowd to attack her from behind. Together Morgan and Perez laid Vaquer out, and Morgan finished her with an oblivion onto a steel chair.

Perez revealed in February that she had undergone surgery to remove a benign mass from her back.

“I recently underwent surgery to remove a benign mass that was in my back, that was causing me a lot of pain for a couple of months,” she said at the time.

On Raw, the announcers simply said Perez had been out with injuries, with no further explanation.

AJ Styles says he’s ‘grateful’ for WWE Hall of Fame induction

Posted on by Vincent Verhei

At the end of his retirement ceremony on Monday Night Raw, the WWE surprised AJ Styles by having the Undertaker break the news that he would be going into their Hall of Fame this year. Now we’re getting to see how Styles reacted backstage.

The WWE posted a video of backstage footage from the evening on their YouTube page. The video showed Styles gathering with his family just a few minutes after Raw went off the air. 

“I guess we’re going to WrestleMania, at least to the Hall of Fame,” he said. “I’m very excited. I don’t know, I really can’t think of the words to express how I feel. ‘Gratitude’s’ a big one. ‘Thankful.’ ‘Blessed.’”

Styles added that getting the news in his hometown, surrounded by his loved ones, made it even more special. “I’m glad they were here to see it too,” he said, referring to his wife and children. “What a place, being told you’re going into the Hall of Fame in the city that you live in. It was going to be a great night, and you got married. It’s awesome.” 

Cagematch lists Styles with 14 matches in the city of Atlanta. The first was a win over Rick Micheals in a dark match at a WWF Jakked taping in July of 2001. The last was a no contest against LA Knight on WWE SmackDown in January of 2024. 

JD McDonagh makes return on WWE Raw

Posted on by Vincent Verhei

Three months after his last wrestling match, WWE star JD McDonagh returned to Monday Night Raw, getting involved in the feud between CM Punk and Finn Balor. 

Punk was in the ring cutting a promo when Balor interrupted. As he approached the ring, Balor was soon joined by his Judgment Day stablemates, first Dominik Mysterio, then McDonagh.

The three men entered the ring but let Punk have his say. Punk insulted all three of them, including jokes about McDonagh’s oversized head, then turned his back and dared them to attack him. McDonagh stepped forward, apparently ready to accept Punk’s challenge, but Balor held him back. 

Later, McDonagh confronted Balor backstage, saying they missed a chance to injure Punk before his WWE World Heavyweight Championship defense against Balor at Elimination Chamber. Balor insisted he needed to do this alone. The two Irishmen then went their separate ways in a huff, leaving Mysterio all alone going into his Elimination Chamber qualifying match later on the show. (Mysterio would go on to be pinned by Je’Von Evans in that match, a three-way which also included Gunther.) 

McDonagh’s last match was a loss to Rey Mysterio on Monday Night Raw on November 24, 2025. Shortly after that match, he shared photos online showing that he had undergone wrist and/or hand surgery but would not be gone long. 

AJ Lee appearance, Chamber qualifiers headline Raw next week

Posted on by Vincent Verhei

WWE has announced an AJ Lee appearance and two Elimination Chamber qualifiers for next week’s episode of Monday Night Raw.

Lee will no doubt be promoting her match against Becky Lynch at Elimination Chamber. Lee’s issues with Lynch go back to WrestlePalooza last September. She returned to WWE after a decade out of the spotlight at that show, teaming with her husband CM Punk to defeat Lynch and her husband Seth Rollins. Lee submitted Lynch with her black widow hold to win the match. 

Lee continued to harass Lynch through the end of 2025. In November, she distracted Lynch during a match on Monday Night Raw. Lynch lost her Women’s Intercontinental Championship to Maxxine Dupri as a result. A few weeks later, Lee’s team defeated Lynch’s team at Survivor Series War Games when Lee again made Lynch submit to the black widow. 

Lynch regained the title from Dupri in January on the Raw on Netflix Anniversary Show.

Lee has not held a title since losing the WWE Divas Championship to Nikki Bella in a 34-second match at Survivor Series in 2014. Her last championship match was a loss to Bella at TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs … And Stairs in December of that same year. 

Also announced for next week: a pair of Elimination Chamber qualifiers. The first pits Je’Von Evans vs. Gunther vs. Dominik Mysterio; the winner will join Randy Orton and LA Knight in the men’s Elimination Chamber match. 

The second pits Bayley vs. Asuka vs. Nattie; the winner will join Tiffany Stratton and Rhea Ripley in the women’s Elimination Chamber match.

WWE Monday Night Raw hails from the FedEx Forum in Memphis, Tennessee, on February 16, 2026.

WWE Raw (February 16)

  • AJ Lee appears
  • Elimination Chamber qualifying match: Gunther vs. Je’Von Evans vs. Dominik Mysterio
  • Elimination Chamber qualifying match: Bayley vs. Asuka vs. Nattie

Liv Morgan to appear on next WWE SmackDown

Posted on by Vincent Verhei

Liv Morgan, the 2026 Women’s Royal Rumble winner, has a decision to make. And she’s going to announce that decision this Friday on SmackDown. 

Morgan had a busy night on Monday Night Raw, joining her boyfriend Dominik Mysterio in the ring after his big return. She then announced she did not want to rush into a decision and pick her Mania opponent too quickly. Therefore, she would go to SmackDown to scout the competition and assess her options before making a choice. 

The Royal Rumble winner was then confronted by her Judgment Day stablemate Raquel Rodriguez, who demanded to know why Morgan had eliminated her from the Rumble. Morgan talked her way out of the situation by explaining that they both had title shots, with Rodriguez about to challenge Vaquer in a street fight. 

Vaquer went on to defeat Rodriguez in that match, only to be laid out by Morgan, who ended up standing tall with Vaquer’s belt in her hands. Prior to her title opportunity, Rodriguez had requested Morgan not to interfere in the match.

Morgan made her main roster WWE debut in 2017. She is a two-time WWE Women’s World Champion, and she and Rodgriguez have won the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship four times. 

Austin Theory officially joins The Vision on WWE Raw

Posted on by Vincent Verhei

The top heel faction on WWE’s flagship show has officially added a new member.

Austin Theory was formally named as a member of the group on Monday Night Raw. Theory was seen warming up backstage for a singles match against Mysterio when he was approached by Paul Heyman and the other members of the Vision. Heyman extended a hand to Theory, saying “Welcome to the Vision.” Paul, Reed, and Bron Breakker all vowed to watch Theory’s back, and he vowed to watch theirs in return.

Theory lost the match by DQ after Paul interfered, allowing the two to gang up on Mysterio until a returning Penta made the save.

The former United States Champion had disappeared from WWE in the middle of the summer, but he made his return at Survivor Series WarGames in late November, wearing a mask and attacking CM Punk to help the Vision, Drew McIntyre, and Brock Lesnar win the men’s WarGames match.  He then returned on the December 15 episode of Raw, attacking Rey Mysterio to help Logan Paul to a win. Punk hit the ring but Theory fled to the crowd, where he pulled his mask off and revealed his face. He teamed with Bronson Reed to defeat Punk and Mysterio in a tag match a week later. 

Gunther on WWE SNME victory: ‘John Cena tapped out like a little b****’

Posted on by Vincent Verhei

This weekend, Gunther defeated John Cena in the latter’s retirement match. Tonight’s episode of Monday Night Raw opened with a segment suggesting who Gunther’s next opponent might be. 

Gunther came out to celebrate his win, climbing on the announce desk before entering the ring to speak. 

“I did what I said I would do,” Gunther said. “I made John Cena give up. And when he gave up, he tapped out like a little bitch.” 

Gunther then started to leave before returning to the announce desk to repeat his claims.

“I made John Cena tap out like a little b****,” he said. “It is my time now. I will forever be the man that made John Cena give up.”

When he finally went backstage, Gunther was confronted by Raw general manager Adam Pearce.

“You go to the ring against the greatest of all time, you beat John Cena right in the middle, you send him into retirement,” Pearce said. “And then you show up tonight and you walk all over that man’s legacy because you know he’s not coming back. You think you’ve got it all figured out.”

“I do,” Gunther confirmed.

“Doing that, Gunther, does not make you the Ring General,” Pearce replied. “It makes you an *ssh*le.” Pearce then told Gunther he was done for the night and kicked him out of the building. 

Gunther, all too happy to call it a night, approached his car, where he found AJ Styles waiting for him. 

Styles, of course, is one of Cena’s most notable rivals—he lost to Cena at Crown Jewel 2025 in October. 

“Is there anything you want to tell me?” Gunther asked? Styles said nothing, silently gesturing toward Gunther’s car. Gunther drove away, stopping to flash Cena’s “You Can’t See Me” taunt at Styles before cackling and driving away. 

Styles and Gunther have wrestled a handful of times before—Gunther defended the Intercontinental championship against Styles on a pair of house shows in 2022, then defended the World title against him in steel cage matches on a tour of Germany this spring. 

Styles has said that he is close to retirement himself. He could be the third notable wrestler to wrestle his last match against Gunther, joining Cena and Bill Goldberg, whose last match was a loss to Gunther in Atlanta last July. 

WOL: Travis Power Slap, Raw recap, NXT preview

Posted on by Mike Sempervive

Mike Sempervive & Filthy Tom Lawlor are back to talk about all things wrestling, including Travis Scott’s Power Slap of Cody Rhodes, last night’s Raw, a preview of tonight’s NXT, Producer Dom’s thoughts on AEW Revolution and more. A fun show as always, so check it out~!

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Filthy Observer Live: Weekend wrap, Raw, ZSJ wins G1, more

Posted on by Mike Sempervive

As Bryan drives the 101 to I-5 and wonders where he put those headphones, Filthy Tom Lawlor joins Mike Sempervive to talk about this past weekend, a preview of tonight’s Raw, ZSJ wins the G1, THE GRAPS & more! It’s a fun show as always, so check it out~!

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Wrestling Observer Live: Raw, ratings news, Adam Abdalla talks VISITORS exhibit

Posted on by Mike Sempervive

Wrestling Observer Live with Bryan Alvarez and Mike Sempervive is back with tons to talk about including some LIFE ADVICE, last night’s Raw, Randy Orton’s new deal, ratings, plus Adam Abdalla joins us from Shibuya to talk about the VISITORS exhibit and GCW in Japan! A fun show as always so check it out~!

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Filthy Observer Live: Fighting Brutus Creed, AEW, WWE Raw review, more!

Posted on by Mike Sempervive

BODY: With Bryan Alvarez on his way to Everett to tape some On Patrol Live, Filthy Tom Lawlor joins Mike Sempervive to talk about Tom’s fight against Brutus Creed at Bloodsport XI, Rikishi not being happy with Jey Uso’s booking, the Raw review & much more. A fun show as always, so check it out~!

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Wrestling Observer Radio: RAW and Monday Night Football, AEW and NXT previews, ratings and more

Posted on by Bryan Alvarez

Wrestling Observer Radio with Bryan Alvarez and Dave Meltzer is back with tons to talk about including RAW and Monday Night Football, AEW and NXT previews for this week, some weird things on RAW as we do our weekly report, Vikingo, Jade Cargill, ratings and tons more. A fun show as always so check it out~!

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Bryan & Vinny & Granny & Craig Show with RAW 15 and tons more!

Posted on by Bryan Alvarez

The Bryan & Vinny & Granny & Craig Show is back with TONS to talk about including our weekly live Q&A with Granny, her Weekly Wrestling Report, Dean Ambrose book reading, and more. Then the boys review RAW 15 with Shawn Michaels and Hacksaw Jim Duggan which is not the great match you remember, that’s next week. A fun show as always so check it out~!

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