SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)...
WWE RAW REPORT
MARCH 24, 2025
GLASGOW, SCOTLAND AT OVO HYDRO
AIRED LIVE ON NETFLIX (WORLDWIDE)
REPORT BY WADE KELLER, EDTIOR
Commentators: Michael Cole, Corey Graves
Ring Announcer: Alicia Taylor
Attendance: WrestleTix reports that 10,516 tickets were distributed headed into the show. The arena was set up for 10,516, so it’s a sellout. The arena has a capacity of 14,300 spectators when configured for concerts.
CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO OUR POST-SHOW PODCAST
JOIN US LIVE ON YOUTUBE TONIGHT FOR THE VIDEO-FORMAT OF OUR LIVE POST-SHOWS…
PWTorch editor Wade Keller is joined by PWTorch’s Bruce Hazelwood to review WWE Raw LIVE tonight right after the show ends. Join us and let us know your thoughts on Raw during the show.
Email our post-show at [email protected] with your comments and questions about Raw. We’ll read your emails live during the post-show.
If you can’t join us live on YouTube, stream the show on demand later at YouTube or listen or stream later on a podcast app. Subscribe to all of our free podcasts by searching “wade keller” and “pwtorch” in your podcast app of choice including Spotify and Apple Podcasts and most other iOS and Android apps.
LIVE ON YOUTUBE RIGHT AFTER WWE RAW TONIGHT: LIVE ON YOUTUBE RIGHT AFTER WWE RAW TONIGHT: CLICK HERE TO WATCH
[HOUR ONE]
-They showed the arena as Michael Cole introduced the snow. Then they showed arriving wrestlers including C.M. Punk, Liv Morgan & Raquel Rodriguez, Lyra Valkyria, Dragon Lee & Rey Mysterio, Penta, and Bron Breakker.
-They went to a wide shot from the last row of the arena, which had a Theater in the Round vibe. After a “dramatic pause,” John Cena’s music played. Cena walked out at first with a blank stare. Then he saw a kid around age 8 who was wearing his merchandise. (I almost felt like Cena was second-guessing his turn when he looked at this poor kid hoping for a smile as he waved at him.) Cena turned and held up “The Last Time is Now” towel. He wore his “After This, You Can’t See Me” t-shirt. His hat and t-shirt still says “Rise Above Hate” on the side, an indication they were made before the decision to turn heel.
Cena entered the ring and asked the booing fans if something was on their minds. A “Let’s Go Cena / Cena Sucks!” dueling chant rang out. Cena said fans finally understand what is going on and so he has turned the spotlight on them. He said he can pick out any one of those “random ticket holders and rip them to shreds right now.” He said no one is safe. He said last week he “put a clueless kid on blast.” He said his “poor, pathetic face was everywhere.” He said they all loved it. A “F— you, Cena!” chant rang out. They muted it as best they could. McAfee said, “It’s nice to see they say that over here, too.”
Cena said he always tells the truth. He said they resort to profanity and they’re the ones who love watching “a poor, defenseless kid get destroyed.” He said they are all horrible people. He said he will tell them how they will pay for the abuse they have put him through. He said for 25 years he has listened to their lies and their noise, but he didn’t waste that time being mean like them. Fans chanted, “Shut the f—!” up, and they didn’t mute it this time.
He said he has listened to them and played along and prodded them and rewarded them for their childish, curse-ridden nursery rhymes. He said it told him every single thing about them. He said they know nothing about him, and he knows everything about them. “The truth is, your life is sad,” he said. He said this is all they have, and to him, they have been nothing more than an experiment. He said they are rats in a cage. He listed a series of reactions to him over the years and what it revealed about them.
He said they tell him everything about themselves because they so desperately wanted to matter. He said 20 years ago, he gave them his greatest idea, the spinner championship belt. “Just like right now, you ate me alive,” he said. He said they all told him how stupid he was because it changed their belt into a toy “and the championship is not a toy, but a symbol of the center of all this.” He said fans said it disrespected the legacy. He said that was the biggest mistake ever made. He said that revealed to him what means the most to them in his lives.
“I am going to ruin wrestling,” he said. “I am going to ruin wrestling for every fan, for every wrestler, for everyone.” He said he’ll make history at WrestleMania by winning a 17th championship “and finally force you to forget the name of the fun-machine, jet-flying, wooo Ric Flair.” He said they will forever say the name John Cena. “But even worse, I’m going to win that championship, the center of every Superstar of this entire business, of every fan in this building, and I will win that championship and retire with it. I am taking it home with me and leaving all of you to create a brand new toy belt because the real one comes home with me. I will be the last real champion in WWE. Revenge is best served cold. I pay you back by ripping your heart out and forcing you to watch me walk away with your memories and yours traditions and your dreams. And there is nothing you can do to stop it!”
Cody Rhodes’s music played and he walked to the ring. McAfee noted the pressure Cody must feel to save wrestling, but said Scotland believes he’s the right man for it. Cody, clutching his WWE Title belt, eyed Cena and then held the belt up to the cheering and singing fans. Cody said Cena just said he’s taking the belt away from the fans, but to do that, he has to take it away from him first. He said last week he made a mistake and talked about the old John and new John. He said he is perhaps the most dangerous John Cena there has ever been. He said Cena has made a massive mistake. He said hitting him in the head with the belt at Elimination Chamber was not that mistake. He said the mistake was saying what he said in front of the people in attendance “while I was in the building.”
He said Cena just said the timeline of the business is in jeopardy because of his vanity. Cody placed the belt on the mat between them and told Cena to take it. Cena leaned down a bit, but then turned and left. Cody took off his suitcoat and yelled at Cena to return. Cena kept walking. Cody said he cannot have it on his conscience, so he needs him to see him and the fans and understand that his psychotic need to take the WWE Title does not outweigh “our right to keep it.” He said the champ is no longer standing there (pointing at Cena), but rather is standing in the ring watching Cena walk away empty-handed. He said he will be walking away empty-handed from WWE.
-They went to Cole and McAfee at ringside. Cole said Cody will be defending his title against Cena in 26 days. McAfee underlined that he’ll be trying to save wrestling. A video package aired on the Breakker vs. Finn Balor match last week.
(Keller’s Analysis: Like last week, a mix of good and bad with some key missing elements. Cena still hasn’t made clear, at least to me, at what point he decided to turn on the fans. Was it 20 years ago and he was faking it all since then, or more recently such as five years ago or two years ago or just since Cody won and seemed become more popular than he ever was – at least less polarizing. That gets to the other missing element. Cena is treating Cody like Generic Champion #1 and it could be anyone. There’s nothing about Cena the last two weeks that has anything to with Cody other than he happens to be holding the title. It seems, frankly, ungracious and selfish in an unbecoming way outside of the storyline. He’s said nothing about Cody in particular here other than he holds the belt he wants to win in order to spite the fans. Beyond that, this was about as entertaining a heel Jeff Jarrett promo after a heel turn. Jarrett was fine, but leaning so hard on lecturing “ungrateful fans” a second week in a row feels repetitive. On the bright side, he continues to be “all in” without any winking or nodding or hedging like The Rock was doing, nor is he straying from the storyline presentation into meta-nonsense. I’m okay with this not being about The Rock, but the initial turn seemed to point toward Cena selling his soul to The Rock. Now it appears they’re just pretending Rock wasn’t in the in the ring when the turn happened and had nothing to do with it. That does prompt one to wonder if Cody turning down Rock was an independent event from Cena deciding to reveal to the fans that at some point along the way the last 25 years he decided he resented the fans and thought they were losers.)
-The Usos made their entrance. [c]
(1) JIMMY & JEY USO vs. AUSTIN THEORY & GRAYSON WALLER
McAfee said it was an honor to be present for the Usos reuniting as a team. The bell rang 32 minutes into the hour. Jimmy leaped onto Theory and Waller at ringside at 1:00. Waller and Jimmy battled back and forth in the ring. Waller threw Jimmy to ringside. Theory knocked Jimmy over at ringside. They cut to a break as Theory was taunting Jey. [c]
Waller lifted Jimmy on his shoulders, but Jimmy slipped free. Jey caught Waller with a surprise spear. When Theory entered, Jey ducked and then the Usos gave him a 1D for the win.
WINNERS: The Usos in 9:00.
-As the Usos celebrated, Gunther showed up and yanked Jimmy off the top rope. Jey and Gunther exchanged strikes. Jey superkicked Gunther and then set up a spear, but he slipped. Gunther then dropped elbows on Jey. Jimmy entered with a chair. Gunther retreated. Cole said Jey slipped a couple of times last week as well.
-As Raquel was warming up, Liv predicted victory later. Dominik and Carlito walked in. Dom was sad things didn’t work out for Finn Balor last week. Liv consoled him and said tonight it’ll work out better when Raquel wins the IC Title. Carlito said he wants to win a title. Liv told Dom to talk to Penta again. Dom said Balor didn’t want Penta in The Judgment Day. Liv said Balor didn’t want her in it at first, either. Carlito then said he’s been killing it since he was brought into The Judgment Day.
-Cole plugged NXT tomorrow with Stephanie Vaquer defending both of her titles separately on the same night.
-They showed Valkyria getting advice backstage from Bayley. [c]
-An El Grande Americano vignette aired on the history of Lucha Libre and then focused on El Grande Americano disappearing without a trace. The narrator said the legend has now returned to bring honor and glory back to the sport.
(Keller’s Analysis: Was that a spoof on Dwayne Johnson self-promotion video at Elimination Chamber?)
-An exasperated Rey Mysterio asked Adam Pearce “what the hell was that?” Pearce said it was an intro video for new WWE roster member El Grande Americano. Rey said that is ridiculous because it was Chad Gable. Gable walked in and said it’s not him even if they have some similar traits. Gable said he can’t compete tonight. He coughed. He said he has doctor’s orders not to wrestle. Pearce looked at a sheet of paper and said it was legit. Gable suggested Dragon take on “the new guy, El Grande Americano.” Pearce said his hands are tied. Dragon said that works for him, even if it’s Gable in a mask.
-They showed Richard Gadd of the Netflix series “Baby Reindeer” in the crowd.
(2) LYRA VALKYRIA vs. RAQUEL RODRIGUEZ (w/Liv Morgan) – Intercontinental Title match
Liv and Rodriguez were already in the ring. Valkyria’s entrance aired. The bell rang 44 minutes into the hour. Valkyria sent Rodriquez through the ropes to the floor with a leg scissors. She then sent Rodriguez into the announce desk. Back in the ring, she climbed to the top rope and leaped, but Rodriguez kicked her out of mid-air. The ref checked on her after the back of her head bounced off the canvas after she landed. [c]
[HOUR TWO]
Raquel was in control after the break. Rodriguez caught Valkyria mid-air, but she shifted and drove Rodriguez into the mat with a DDT. Liv put Rodriguez’s leg over the bottom rope to stop the ref’s count. Valkyria yelled at Liv at ringside. Rodriguez tried to take advantage and set up a Tejana Bomb, but Valkyria rolled her up for a three count.
WINNER: Valkyria in 8:00 to retain the Intercontinental Title.
-Liv and Rodriguez attacked Valkyria afterward. Bayley ran out for the save and cleared the ring of the heel duo.
-They went to Cole and McAfee at ringside. Cole plugged a new McAfee’s live show in Pittsburgh. He said it’ll be streamed live. Then they talked about McAfee buying a kilt earlier. He showed it off by standing on the announce desk.
(Keller’s Analysis: We should all have someone who looks at us with some admiration and awe as Michael Cole looks at McAfee.)
-Cole plugged new dates announced in Europe the days before and after Clash in Paris in late August into the first day or September.
-A video package aired on the Iyo Sky-Rhea Ripley-Bianca Belair saga.
-Pearce was shown walking backstage with the contract that Ripley signed even though she wasn’t on it. [c]
-A video package aired on The Rock vs. Triple H battling for the IC Title with Batista, Miz, and The Rock talking about how special they showed themselves to be with that match as part of building up Triple H’s Hall of Fame induction this year. Cole noted Earthquake and Typhoon were also added to this year’s class as announced earlier in the day.
-Jimmy sat next to Jey and asked what’s up. He said he can see Gunther is “all up in his head.” He said Jey became a damn joke and a meme lately with slips on the ropes and messing up in the ring. He said if he keeps this up, he won’t win at WrestleMania. Jey yelled that he knows. “I ain’t beat Gunther. I’m 3-0 against Gunther.” (He meant 0-3.) Jimmy gave him a pep talk and talked up his strengths. Jimmy then marched over to Gunther who was around the corner. He challenged him to a match next week. Gunther said sure, as long as he doesn’t trip and fall like his brother. Jimmy gave him a hard slap to the head and walked away. Gunther shook it off and smiled.
-Pearce stood mid-ring and said Ripley signing the contract doesn’t bind legally. He said Ripley has been owed a title shot and he’s been trying to schedule it for a while. He said Ripley wants that rematch for the title on her terms, but he doesn’t work like that. Sky came out. Cole said she’s been treated as a third wheel in the situation with Belair and Ripley. Sky walked to the ring and said she doesn’t care about contracts. She said she’ll take on both of them because she is the champion.
Belair marched out and said, “Eh eh.” She said she earned her title match at WrestleMania by winning the Elimination Chamber. She said she won’t let Ripley headbutt her way into the match. She said she hasn’t earned it and doesn’t deserve it. Pearce agreed, then was interrupted by Ripley’s music.
Ripley strutted out and said she doesn’t give a damn about WrestleMania and she doesn’t care who she has to go through to get her title back. Belair said Ripley can get her title rematch against her after she beats Sky at WrestleMania. As Belair and Ripley argued, Sky tried to step between them. Ripley pie-faced her. Sky leaped up and tried to fight. Pearce yelled for them to stop. He said he had a solution, which is next week, Ripley gets her rematch against Sky and then the winner of that faces Belair at WrestleMania. Sky charged at Belair, but Belair backdropped Sky who gave Ripley a DDT. All three battled for another minute, with Sky getting in the offense against both Belair and Ripley. Fans chanted, “Iyo! Iyo!” Belair eventually gave Sky a KOD over the top rope onto Ripley below.
(Keller’s Analysis: So after all of this, WWE might deliver on the Ripley vs. Belair match one-on-one after all at WrestleMania, but only after making both Belair and Ripley entirely unlikable along the way?)
-Dom approached Penta and said they can help him win the IC Title tonight, so think about their offer to join The Judgment Day. [c]
-A vignette aired on the War Raiders.
-New Day approached Adam Pearce backstage and said they deserve a shot at the tag titles because they are the greatest tag team on planet Earth. Pearce said they should have asked for a chance to prove it next week in a match, but they didn’t. Belair walked up to Pearce and asked who she’s facing at WrestleMania. Pearce, clearly out of patience, told her she’ll face the winner of Sky and Ripley next week. He made Belair special referee. She said she doesn’t know how to referee. He told her she has a week to learn. Cole said Pearce has lost it.
(Keller’s Analysis: This is Pearce’s worst week as a G.M. not storyline-wise, but in terms of just being over-the-top and slapstick with his acting. He’s usually believable and relatable in his exasperation, but this week it’s just a cartoonish parody of what he usually is like. Belair’s acting was truly hideous there, unfortunately, but I suppose in a funny way if you watch wresting to laugh at it. The scripting also made her out to be an idiot for not understanding that at WrestleMania she’ll be wrestling the winner of the Sky vs. Ripley match next week. I’m sure she got some chuckles when she exclaimed she didn’t how to referee, but the acting leading up to that was bad, it ruined it for me.)
(3) DRAGON LEE vs. EL GRANDE AMERICANO
The bell rang 33 minutes into the hour. They cut to an early break at 2:00 after Americano suplexed Dragon Lee to off the ring apron. [c]
Lee favored his knee after a leaping double-stomp onto Americano as he hung upside down near the ring apron. Both rolled into the ring at the count of 8 or 9. As Lee rallied, Cole said Americano will have to change his name back to Gulf of Mexico after this. Cole noted resemblances with Americano’s moves and Gable’s moves. Fans chanted, “This is awesome!” at 8:00. Lee set up another stomp as Americano hung upside down, but Gable yanked off Lee’s mask. Lee covered his face as Americano applied an anklelock and tapped out.
WINNER: Americano in 9:00.
-Cole told McAfee that was Gable and asked McAfee if he’s really buying this.
-A clip aired of Gunther on this Sunday’s “LFG.”
-A video recap aired of the Smackdown segment last week with Punk, Roman Reigns, and Seth Rollins.
-Punk made his ring entrance. [c]
-A clip aired of Stephanie McMahon’s interview with Punk on her new talk show series. Punk said he was nervous about whether fans forgot about or still cared. He said he and her husband are a lot similar than either want to admit even to this day.
(Keller’s Analysis: I thought that way back when Punk first signed with WWE, but I mistakenly thought that’d make them get along better when, in fact, it had the opposite effect for years.)
-Punk stood center-ring and said he’s happy to spend quality time with his friends in Glasgow. He said it’s hard to be mad when you hear an ovation like that. A very loud “C.M. Punk!” chant rang out. He said he’s jet lagged and hasn’t slept well because of the uncertainty regarding his road to WrestleMania. He said he still works with children. He called Seth a “diaper wearing piss-baby.” He said he has a match at WrestleMania, and it doesn’t get him to what he wants. He said for two people, it’s clearly personal, but for him, it’s just business and simple math. He said Reigns and Seth stand in his way so they’ve got to go.
He said Seth takes it personal because he’s been crying about the shadow he casts over him, which belittles everything he’s accomplished in his entire career. He said Roman can see in real time that “his Wiseman isn’t just his Wiseman.” He said it’s personal for them, but it’s business for him. He said Friday on Smackdown, they’re going to have a contract signing. Some fans booed. He asked if that’s because they wanted it here. He said he did too, which is why he is there. He said he can’t wait to get his hands on this contract and read the fine print so he can see if it gets him closer to what he wants or if it’ll be “another rug-pull by the powers that be.” He said he’d see them in London, but before they put pen to paper, neither of them have ever defeated him without the others’ help because they can’t. He said he brought them both into the business and he can’t wait to take them out of it. “Best in the world,” he said. He dropped the mic and his music played.
-Cole said that next week, Raw will air at 3 p.m. ET and 12 noon PT next week because of a time change in London.
[HOUR THREE]
-A taped promo aired with Logan Paul. He called out A.J. Styles “and your soccer mom haircut” for Raw in London next Monday. Also next Monday, Jimmy vs. Gunther, another face-to-face with Cody and Cena, and Sky vs. Ripley with Belair as special referee.
-Cathy Kelley interviewed Breakker about facing Penta and asked about The Judgment Day’s invite to Penta to join them. Breakker said that’s Penta’s business and it doesn’t concern him. He said he’ll retain his title tonight “because the dogs are barking in Glasgow.” [c]
(4) BRON BREAKKER vs. PENTA – Intercontinental Title match
McAfee talked about Penta being dazzling and Breakker being explosive. The bell rang 9 minutes into the hour. Penta springboarded toward Breakker on the ring apron, but Breakker raised a knee. Penta bumped to the floor. Breakker leaped off the ring apron onto Penta and knocked him over the announce desk. With both down, Dom and Carlito came to ringside, applauding. They cut to a break at 2:00. [c]
Penta landed a running flip dive onto Breakker at ringside. Dom and Carlito celebrated. Back in the ring, Penta landed a Mexican Destroyer for a two count. Breakker came back with a sudden Frankensteiner for a near fall. Breakker yanked Carlito into the ring and speared him. Dom then clipped Breakker’s leg from behind. The ref called for the DQ.
WINNER: Penta via DQ in 12:00
-Fans chanted, “F— you, Dom!” Balor then whacked Breakker with a chair from behind. Balor wound up and looked at Dom, but then handed him the chair. Dom jabbed Breakker’s abdomen with the chair. Penta stood and watched. Dom offered him the chair. Balor asked Dom what he doing. Penta wound up and looked at Breakker’s head as Breakker began to stand. He then threw the chair at Dom. Dom caught it and then Penta kicked it into him. Balor attacked Penta. Cole said it was almost an “I told you so” to Dom. Balor leaped off the top rope with a Coup de Grace. Fans booed. As Balor, Dom, and Carlito stood in the ring, Cole said it appears they’re on the same page again, which isn’t good for the locker room.
CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO OUR POST-SHOW PODCAST
JOIN US LIVE ON YOUTUBE TONIGHT FOR THE VIDEO-FORMAT OF OUR LIVE POST-SHOWS…
PWTorch editor Wade Keller is joined by PWTorch’s Bruce Hazelwood to review WWE Raw LIVE tonight right after the show ends. Join us and let us know your thoughts on Raw during the show.
Email our post-show at [email protected] with your comments and questions about Raw. We’ll read your emails live during the post-show.
If you can’t join us live on YouTube, stream the show on demand later at YouTube or listen or stream later on a podcast app. Subscribe to all of our free podcasts by searching “wade keller” and “pwtorch” in your podcast app of choice including Spotify and Apple Podcasts and most other iOS and Android apps.
LIVE ON YOUTUBE RIGHT AFTER WWE RAW TONIGHT: LIVE ON YOUTUBE RIGHT AFTER WWE RAW TONIGHT: CLICK HERE TO WATCH
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.