WWE is in the ATL!

Monday Night Raw returns to Atlanta, and while preparing for Elimination Chamber, they pay tribute to AJ Styles’ phenomenal WWE career!

OFFICIAL RESULTS

• Men’s Elimination Chamber Qualifier Triple Threat: Bronson Reed VS Jey Uso VS El Grande Americano Original; Jey wins and advances.
• Maxxine Dupri VS Natalya; Nattie wins.
• Je’Von Evans VS Kofi Kingston w/ Xavier Woods & Grayson Waller; Evans wins.
• Women’s Elimination Chamber Qualifier Triple Threat: Iyo Sky VS Kairi Sane VS Raquel Rodriguez; Raquel wins and advances.

PLAY BY PLAY

GUNTHER interrupts the opening of the show.

The fans boo Der Ring General as he stops Michael Cole & Corey Graves introducing the show. He tells them to get out of HIS ring, sit at the desk, and tell everyone else how great GUNTHER is! The fans boo more as Gunther steps into the ring, and they remind him, “You Tapped Out!” Gunther knows they’re not happy to see him, because tonight, these “idiots” are here to celebrate the career of AJ Styles! Gunther thinks that it is a disgrace that there is a celebration for a loser! Gunther says these people feel for these losers! They like losers! Losers like Bill Goldberg! John Cena! And now, AJ Styles!

And what they all have in common is that GUNTHER killed their careers! The fans boo again, but Gunther says what should really happen tonight is a celebration for a truly great wrestler: GUNTHER! Adam Pearce shouts at Gunther that that is enough! Gunther keeps going on that he is the Career Killer, but Pearce keeps shouting, “That is ENOUGH!” The fans cheer Pearce as security comes out here. Pearce knew this would happen, we’re not gonna do this. What we are gonna do is CELEBRATE AJ Styles! The fans cheer, and Pearce tells Gunther to call it a night, the boys are gonna escort him outta the building.

Gunther tells Pearce that he will leave. But not because Pearce told him to, but because of his own free will, he decides to leave because of the disgrace that is going to happen here tonight. The fans boo as Gunther steps out of the ring, and keeps arguing with Pearce as he goes to the ramp. Der Ring General already did what he wanted by insulting Styles again, but then he just eggs the fans on. DRAGON LEE ATTACKS GUNTHER! The fans cheer as the Boy Wonder gets his shots in! Gunther is dragged from the mess, and he argues with Pearce about that! But then Dragon comes back for more! He CHUCKS Gunther into road cases!

The brawl spills into the backstage area, and security drags Dragon away this time. Gunther is seething, and Pearce asks if he’s happy. It’s just not his night! Cody Rhodes then steps in and pats Pearce on the shoulder. The fans now cheer as the American Nightmare and Atlanta’s own makes his way out to the ring! The fans sing along, we get the “WHOA~ OH~!” and pyro, then Cody continues down the ramp. Cody high-fives and hugs fans before going up onto the corner for the second “WHOA~ OH~!” and pyro. The fans cheer Cody while he grabs a mic, and he asks Atlanta, “I know what we wanna talk about. I know why we are all here. That is the one and the only, the Phenomenal A J STYLES!”

The fans cheer, and Cody says, “Wrestling royalty, sure.” But wait! The Vision interrupts, Paul Heyman leading the way for Logan Paul, Bronson Reed, and also Atlanta’s own, Austin Theory. Heyman tries to do his introductions but the fans boo him down. Theory says he’s got this. “I cannot stand this place. You all do that and disrespect my Wiseman? Disrespect The Vision? Hey, boys, I can admit it, I’m ashamed to be from Atlanta.” The fans boo more but Logan says no worries, someone who’s not ashamed is that man right there, Cody Rhodes! Because just like everyone from Atlanta, Cody has zero common sense!

Cody on Raw? Is he insane? When Bronson Reed wins tonight, then wins Elimination Chamber, and wins at WrestleMania, The Vision is taking over SmackDown, too! And you, Cody Rhodes, are the first guy out the door. However, God bless all these fans, they are here in The Vision’s presence. And that all starts when Bronson Reed wins his qualifying match, which starts right now! The fans boo but Cody says, “I dunno… Uh, I’m pretty sure there’s someone here who would disagree with that.” And with that, JEY USO makes his entrance! The fans cheer as Main Event Jey, along with #BigJim, make their way in from the concourse!

The fans fire up and bounce along as this is now YEETLANTA! Will Jey make sure to YEET Bronson and even El Grande Americano Original out of the running? Or is a Tsunami about to hit the ATL?

Men’s Elimination Chamber Qualifier Triple Threat: Bronson Reed VS Jey Uso VS El Grande Americano Original!

Raw returns as El Grande Americano Original makes his entrance to join the others in the ring. The bell rings and the fans rally up. Jey wants to be amigos with EGA to take on Bronson, but Bronson runs up! Jey ROCKS Bronson, EGA ROCKS him, and repeat! The fans chant “YEET! SI!” Jey then pops ‘n’ locks and ROCKS Bronson! Jey & EGA double whip but Bronson DOUBLE LARIATS first! The fans boo but Auszilla sends Jey into EGA. Bronson runs up, Jey dodges, the SPLASH hits EGA! Jey mule kicks then UPPERCUTS Bronson, then kicks, but Bronson blocks! Bronson spins Jey but the DRAGON WHIP hits!

Bronson tumbles out, Jey says “YEET!” and he builds speed to DIVE into a forearm! Bronson knocks Jey down, drags Jey out, and DECKS him! But EGA goes up top! ARIHARA MOONSAULT! Down go Bronson AND Jey! the fans fire up while EGA rises to his feet. EGA CHOPS Bronson, but Bronson scoops him! EGA slips free to POST Bronson! Then he and Jey DOUBLE POST Bronson! The fans cheer as EGA and Jey stand tall, but Raw goes to break.

Raw returns as EGA whips Jey corner to corner. Jey goes up and over to UPPERCUT! Then Jey climbs up to rain down fists! The fans “YEET! YEET! YEET!” and Jey goes to nine, then winds up to UPPERCUT again! Grande sputters, Jey puts him up top, but Bronson is back! Bronson HEADBUTTS Jey, then fireman’s carries him! Then he adds EGA to the stack! The fans go nuts already for the DOUBLE SAMOAN DROP! Bronson snarls as he stands over Jey while EGA tumbles away. Bronson CLUBS Jey, whips him to ropes, then ELBOWS him down! Bronson runs to ELBOW DROP! Cover, TWO!

The fans rally as Jey survives, but Bronson drags him around. Bronson stands Jey up, ROCKS him, then puts him on the ropes to CHOKE! The fans boo but Jey can only suffer as there are no disqualifications. Bronson YANKS the rope to jam Jey up, then he BLASTS EGA off the apron! Bronson sits Jey up for a neck wrench! The fans rally as Jey endures, and Jey fights up to his feet. Jey fires body shots, “YEET! YEET!” Jey ROCKS Bronson, runs the ropes, but Bronson scoops and WORLD’S STRONGEST SLAM! Bronson runs, but EGA hits the RUNNING HEADBUTT! Bronson staggers, EGA wheelbarrows, BULLDOG LEG DROP COMBO! Cover on Jey, TWO!

The fans rally again as Jey survives! EGA hurries to get Bronson. Bronson fights the waistlock, Jey runs up, but Bronson ducks! UPPERCUT on EGA! UPPERCUT on Bronson! But EGA waistlocks Jey to hit CHAOS THEORY! EGA goes up top, DIVING HEADBUTT!! Cover, but Bronson breaks it! Bronson then back suplexes EGA, but EGA lands out! And waistlocks!? GERMAN SUPLEX!? Bridging cover, TWO!! “This is Awesome!” while all three men are down, and Raw goes back to break.

Raw returns again and EGA crawls around ringside while medics are checking Bronson’s arm. Jey ROCKS EGA, sends him out of the ring, then DIVES! Direct hit right in front of the desk! The fans rally up while Jey and EGA both slowly rise up. Jey puts EGA in the ring, then he goes up the corner. The fans rally as Jey takes aim, but EGA trips him up! EGA then goes up the corner, and to the very top! Jey fights the suplex, then fires body shots! The fans rally as Jey then HEADBUTTS EGA down! EGA lands in the drop zone and the fans fire back up! Jey reloads and USO SPLASH but onto knees! Cover, TWO!!

Jey escapes but EGA gets that leg! ANKLE LOCK!! The fans rally for Jey as he endures! EGA puts on the pressure, but Jey turns over and BOOTS EGA! But EGA holds onto the ankle! EGA puts on even more pressure, but Jey fights forward! EGA drags Jey back to center! Jey rolls to throw EGA away! Then SUPERKICK! EGA rebounds to ROLLING LIGER KICK! Jey rebounds, ducks ‘n’ dodges, and SPEAR! Jey hurries back up, aims again, USO SPLASH!! Direct hit this time and Jey covers, JEY WINS!

Winner: Jey Uso, by pinfall (advances to Elimination Chamber)

Atlanta bounces along with the YEET as Main Event Jey is now headed to Chicago! Will Elimination Chamber be just the ticket Jey needs to get back to WrestleMania?

CM Punk arrives via the Chumba Casino Toyata!

The NASCAR champion, Tyler Reddick, and the WWE World Heavyweight Champion certainly arrive in style! But what will the Best in the World have to say just days ahead of his rematch with Finn Balor?

Liv Morgan is here!

Atlanta is torn as the 2026 Women’s Royal Rumble winner is here, arm in arm with Dominik Mysterio. Liv herself still seems a little shaken after being verbally confronted by Stephanie Vaquer. But shaken or not, Liv is set to decide her WrestleMania opponent! Will she still want after La Primera over what was said? Or will she choose The Storm, Jade Cargill? We find out, after the break.

Raw returns, and after showing a subtitled version of Vaquer confronting Liv, complete with Liv in tears, we return to Liv & Dom in the ring. Dom has the mic to say in Espanol and English, “Ladies and gentlemen, you are in the presence of the greatest Intercontinental Champion, AAA Mega Campeon, and Royal Rumble Winner of ALLLLLL~ TIIIME~!” Liv smiles as Dom gives the introduction the way she would. Dom says now is the moment we’ve all been waiting for. Liv is going to choose who she faces at WrestleMania! So, will the champions please come out so that Liv may make her decision face to face?

Dom introduces first the Women’s World Champion, Stephanie Vaquer. La Primera makes her entrance, showing off the new Vaquer hoodie merch. Vaquer steps into the ring, and Liv cowers behind Dom. Dom then introduces the WWE Women’s Champion, Jade Cargill. Atlanta cheers as their Storm makes her way out to the ring, showing off some new ring gear. Liv takes the mic and says she knows they’ve all been patiently waiting. She is ready, she has decided. But she just wants to get something off her chest first, if that’s okay. Stephanie, your words caught Liv by surprise. Liv is not used to getting vulnerable like that, and she really thought on what Vaquer said all week.

Liv says Vaquer’s right. Liv didn’t realize how selfish she’s been, how she’s only been thinking about her own experience, or how privileged she’s really been. Vaquer said Liv has had ten years with the best medical, the best coaches, the best facilities, and even so, Liv still thought she was struggling. To be honest, Liv didn’t know much about Vaquer’s story. She didn’t know Vaquer had to scratch and claw and fight for ten years just to even get to the WWE. And now that Liv knows the story, she wants to apologize for judging her. Vaquer IS the champion she is because of what she’s gone through.

But now Liv needs to focus on her story. So with that being said… Liv looks to Jade and Jade rolls her eyes with a smirk. Liv steps to Jade, smiles, but then SMACKS Vaquer with the mic!! Vaquer goes down in a heap and Jade nods, liking what she sees. Liv then HAMMERS away on Vaquer, adding insult to injury! Liv throws off her jacket, runs up and hits a CODE BREAKER! Vaquer stumbles around, Liv puts her on the ropes, and Liv picks up the world title belt. Liv runs up and hits OBLIVION! The fans are torn but Liv stands tall, holding the title over Vaquer. Will this be what we see at WrestleMania? Or will the Dark Angel drag Liv into her own personal Hell in Sin City?

Backstage interview with Je’Von Evans.

Byron Saxton is with The Young OG and brings up that last week, Je’Von outlasted Gunther and Dominik Mysterio to earn a spot in the Elimination Chamber. How is Je’Von feeling heading into the biggest opportunity of his career? Je’Von says he’s… NAH, wait! Je’Von says sup to Georgia born rap artist, Offset! They dap it up and Je’Von asks what Offset’s doing backstage. Offset says he’s here for the Styles tribute, and he’ll be in Chicago on Saturday with his Bodies BNYX remix as the theme song to Elimination Chamber. Je’Von is fired up for that, but the New Day step in! Xavier Woods, arm in a sling, cannot believe what he is hearing!

You mean to tell him that they’re in Atlanta, Georgia, with a tribute show that’s NOT for Woods, and then Offset is giving Je’Von his flowers and not WOODS?! As Atlanta’s Favorite Son, Woods is disgusted! Kofi says yeah, they’ve been inviting Offset to Raw for years, and he kept saying no! What’s up with that? Offset says as they say, New Day Sucks. Wow! And if they wanna throw hands, let’s throw hands tonight! Ooh, big man challenging this injured legend. Kofi says Evans has a couple wins under his belt and now he’s feelin’ himself, huh? A little bit. Then lace your boots up! Lord knows he could never lace up Kofi’s!

Evans says guess we’ll find out, Unc! The New Day heads out, and Offset says that’s all cap, all talk! Then will the Young OG get BOUNCY~ just days before Elimination Chamber? Or will there be Trouble in Paradise in Atlanta?

Mia Yim talks backstage with Tama Tonga & Tonga Loa.

Between The OC and the Bullet Club, they all have connections to AJ Styles. Wait, speaking of, THE GOOD BROTHERS are here! Michin is so happy to see Gallows & Anderson again, as are the Guerrillas of Destiny. They all hug it out, knowing they’re all here for “Uncle Allen.”

Maxxine Dupri VS Natalya!

The Dungeon Doll was betrayed by the Queen of Harts, and now she wants to take the fight right back to her! Will Maxxine prove she is no longer the student but the master? Or will the Lowkey Legend destroy what she helped create?

Raw returns as Nattie makes her entrance. The bell rings, the two run up, and Nattie RAMS Maxxine into a corner! Nattie fires off fast hands, the ref counts, but Nattie picks Maxxine up. Maxxine sunset flips it, Nattie rolls through, but Maxxine dodges to DROPKICK! And LEG LARIATS! And then BOOTS Nattie outta the ring! The fans rally as Maxxine pursues, but Nattie THRWOS her into the timekeeper’s area! Maxxine ROUNDHOUSES back, then goes up the barriers to CROSSBODY! The straps come down already and the fans fire up! Maxxine keeps Nattie from getting away, and she sends Nattie into barriers!

Maxxine drags Nattie back around, wants the leg, but Nattie BOOTS her into the post! Maxxine falls to the floor in a heap, and Nattie storms up to drag her up. The ref has her hold on, he wants to check Maxxine. Nattie HAMMERS away on Maxxine’s head! The ref pulls Nattie back, checks on Maxxine, but Nattie attacks again! The ref has Nattie stop and just calls it!

Winner: Natalya, by referee stoppage

Nattie has a sinister smile on her face, because one way or another, she won. But will nothing stop Nattie from going right back to the top of this division?

Judgment Day regroups in the clubhouse.

They all feel great after what Liv did to Vaquer. And Liv is excited for Raquel, she has her Elimination Chamber qualifier, which means she could go after Jade Cargill. Raquel says tonight will be a cakewalk. Iyo, Kairi, so easy. JD McDonagh talks with Finn Balor about last week. The Irish Ace apologizes for being a bit of a hot head. Finn has done so much for JD, brought him into the family, they’re like brothers, JD just wants what is best for Finn. Finn says brothers fight, but they always make up. Water under the bridge. And they will see Finn become champion, but at Chamber, he has to do it alone.

Dom steps in and says they left him hanging. That’s why he lost his Triple Threat. He gets Finn wanting to do this on his own, but Dom doesn’t! And now he has to defend his title against Penta! Can he count on them? JD says yeah, that’s fair, sorry for not being there. Finn also says he’s sorry. He’s been focused on the biggest match of his career. Back when he needed help, Dom wasn’t there. But Finn didn’t blame Dom, he held his own. Maybe that’s what Dom should do. Time to take some responsibility for yourself and grow up! Finn heads out, and JD says he’ll talk to Finn. They’ll be there for Dom next week. But will it be with Finn as the NEW World Heavyweight Champion?

The crate has returned to Raw.

And much to Adam Pearce’s annoyance at that. He asks for a shipping manifest and he sees they even misspelled his name. Why is it even here? The staff member says Nick Aldis told them to bring it here. Oh, Nick Aldis did, huh? That guy can’t handle anything. Then do Pearce a favor and put this back on the truck. It’s going to Chicago anyway, so both Pearce and Aldis will figure this out together on Saturday. Rusev then knocks on the box to get Pearce’s attention. They need to talk business. Pearce agrees, they do. But in due time, he has a meeting right now. Wait, Pearce thinks there’s someone more important than Rusev?

But then in steps Oba Femi! Oba says yes, it’s him. Rusev says Oba talks too much for a rookie. Oh? Then shut him up. Do something about it. Oh, Oba wants to go? Pearce says there is a time and a place. Tonight is for AJ Styles, so save this for another time. Rusev says yes, for AJ. Pearce ushers Rusev out, but will this convince The Ruler to sign with Raw?

BROCK LESNAR is here!

Atlanta is torn seeing The Beast return to Raw, and with Heyman by his side! Lesnar makes a quick lap around the ring before he steps in and takes the cowboy hat off. Heyman gets the mic to give his usual introductions. “Yes, I am a Wiseman. Yes, I am an Oracle. But most of all, I am the Advocate for the Beast, BRRRROCK! LESNARRRR!” The fans cheer hearing that again. Heyman says time for a history lesson. Traditionally, WrestleMania had two main events: The title match, and the Undertaker’s streak. Now need he remind you, his client, BRRRROCK LESNARRRR, conquered Undertaker’s undefeated streak at WrestleMania.

That means that main event spot went to Brock Lesnar! Now the only dead man walking in WWE is the one that comes down the aisle to face Brock Lesnar! The fans boo, but Heyman knows what we’re all wondering. Who will fight Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania? Fans chant for “O~BA! O~BA!” But Heyman does not have a prediction, nor even a spoiler, because when Lesnar & Heyman walk through the locker room, there wasn’t one person MAN ENOUGH for Heyman to say would step up and take the ass kicking of biblical proportions coming to them at the hands of Brock Lesnar! Let’s go even deeper than that.

In an effort of full transparency, these are the appearances that Lesnar will make on the Road to WrestleMania: March 16th in San Antonio; March 23rd in Boston; March 30th in New York City; April 6th in Houston; and lastly, April 13th in Sacramento. If at any time, any man is willing to go down in history by taking the absolute worst victimization possible in front of a global audience on the Grandest Stage of Them All, then all that man has to do is come down that aisle and get up in the face of Brock Lesnar! Heyman says that won’t happen. He doesn’t think anyone will answer the Lesnar Open Challenge for WrestleMania!

Because if you take a good look at that locker room, let’s be honest. You can have all the title matches you want, but the REAL main event of WrestleMania is whoever is gonna get their ass kicked and conquered by Brock Lesnar. And there’s no one, and Heyman means NO ONE, in that locker room with the balls to take that ass kicking at WrestleMania from BRRROCK LESNARRR! The challenge has been issued, and we have under two months to go. Who, if anyone, will dare face The Beast at WrestleMania?

Becky Lynch speaks.

“AJ Lee, you think you can stand out there and compare résumés with me? What have you ever done, huh? You held on butterfly belt, I changed the entire game. I was the first woman to win the main event of WrestleMania. I was the first woman on the cover of the video game, and it was a lot better than your complete moron of a husband’s. I have taken this business to heights that you cannot and will not ever reach. Even just this title, I have taken it and made it the most talked about, the most represented title in ALL of WWE! You do not deserve to hold this.

“But I deserve to get rid of you and retire you in front of all your friends and family in your hometown of Chicago. You’ll still be the least talented AJ to retire this year. But lucky for me, I’ll still be the greatest female wrestler of all time, and that’s not just me saying it. Other people are saying it, everybody’s saying it. Sports Illustrated is saying it, The Bleacher Report is saying it. And on Saturday, at Elimination Chamber, I prove it!” The Man has spoken, but will Chicago be ready for the Big Time? Or will Becky just end up in the Black Widow’s web?

Je’Von Evans w/ Offset VS Kofi Kingston w/ Xavier Woods & Grayson Waller!

The Young OG is getting ready for the biggest match of his young career, and he’s doing that by taking on one of the most decorated men in WWE history! Will Evans get one of his biggest wins ever before getting another big win? Or will Kofi prove that New Day does NOT suck?

Raw returns as The New Day makes their entrance. The bell rings and the fans rally as Kofi and Evans circle. They tie up, Kofi waistlocks then headlocks, then spins to hammerlock then headlock again, and repeat. Kofi slaps Evans around, shoves him, and he talks trash. The fans boo but Evans brushes that off. Evans and Kofi reset, circle, and tie up. Evans gets Kofi’s arm to wrench and wristlock. Kofi rolls, handsprings, and he wrenches in return. Evans endures, rolls, and kips up to then cartwheel, handspring, and wrench back! Kofi breaks free to SLAP Evans! The fans boo while Kofi talks trash. Evans SUPERKICKS Kofi down! Cover, TWO!

Kofi goes to ropes but Evans LARIATS Kofi up and out! Evans talks smack back, but Waller is on the apron! Evans runs him off, then builds speed, but Kofi gets far, far away by running up the ramp! The fans boo, Woods says that’s strategy, not cowardice! Waller barks at Evans, Kofi runs in at the distraction, but Evans dodges! BUSAIKU KNEE! Cover, TWO!! Kofi survives and hurries away to a corner. Evans storms up on Kofi but Kofi uses the ropes as a defense. The fans boo but Kofi wants Evans to calm down. Kofi offers a handshake but Evans would prefer a fist bump. Evans still blocks the cheap shot, but Kofi pokes Evans’ eyes!

Kofi TOSSES Evans out, then distracts the ref. But Evans senses Waller creeping up! Waller backs off, but Kofi PENALTY KICKS from the apron! Woods mocks Evans being BOUNCY~ but Offset storms his way over. The New Day backs off, soaking up heat the whole time, while Raw goes to break.

Raw returns again as Kofi HEADBUTTS Evans against the ropes. Kofi throws hands, then he smothers Evans and talks trash on him. The ref backs Kofi off, but Kofi storms back up, into a kick from Evans! Evans kicks again, then blocks a shot to ROCK Kofi! Evans eggs Kofi on, then throws more counter punches! The fans cheer Evans on as he backs Kofi down! Evans fires hands, but Kofi catches one and hooks Evans up! Evans slips free of the SOS but Kofi waistlocks. Kofi shoves Evans to ropes, blocks a kick, but Evans SUPERKICKS on the return! Kofi staggers, Evans goes to a corner, and he SUPERKICKS Kofi down!

Evans shakes the ropes while the fans fire up! Evans then hits the LION’S BARRAGE! Cover, TWO! The fans fire up for Evans as he shakes the ropes again, then he goes up a corner! HIGH MOONSAULT, but Kofi moves! Evans clutches his leg as he rolls through. Kofi catches Evans to an S O S! Cover, TWO!! Evans survives and the fans fire up again. Kofi runs, but Evans ducks the Penalty Kick to roll Kofi up! TWO, and Evans dodges again! Handspring and RED DOT GAMANGIRI! Kofi tumbles out, Evans fires up, and the fans cheer as Evans FLIES! Down goes on Kofi at the ramp! Evans is fired up as he gets Kofi back to the ring!

Waller gets right at Evans! Waller ROCKS Kofi with a right hand! The fans boo as Waller puts Evans in the ring, and Kofi hits a FAMOUSER! Cover, TWO!! Evans survives and Kofi is furious! The fans fire up again, but now Waller and Offset are staring down. Waller says Offset doesn’t belong! Offset TOSSES Waller! Kofi is furious, he tells Offset how dare he do this in Kofi’s place of work! But Evans goes up, up, and O G CUTTER!! Cover, Evans wins!

Winner: Je’Von Evans, by pinfall

Offset and Atlanta all cheer as Evans gets one on KofiMania! But will this same devil-may-care style help Evans reach WrestleMania?

Finn Balor has a message.

“CM Punk is not the only person with people mad at him. I’ve got people mad at me, too. But i need them to understand why I need to do this. I need to prove to the doubters, I need to prove to the critics, and I even need to prove to The Judgment Day that I can be champion. It’s been ten years. Ten years of what if’s. ‘What if he was champion?’ You can learn a lot from a win, but you can learn a lot more from a defeat. And when I lost to CM Punk in Belfast, I learned to stop asking myself what if, and start telling myself, ‘When.’

“When you beat CM Punk, when you become World Heavyweight Champion, when you go on to main event WrestleMania…! There’ll be no more what if’s! Because everyone will know who’s the real Best in the World.”

CM Punk heads to the ring!

Atlanta cheers the WWE World Heavyweight Champion, they sing along with Cult of Personality, and they join in on, “IT’S CLOBBERIN’ TIME!” Punk high-fives fans along the ramp, then goes to the ring. What will he have to say just days before his rematch with Finn Balor? We find out, after the break.

Raw returns and Punk has the mic. The fans cheer him on, and Punk wants them to hold on. Tonight is not about him, he is here to celebrate the Phenomenal AJ Styles. You can go ahead and chant his name. The fans indeed chant for Styles, and Punk says he wants to save as much time as he can so Styles can speak to you, his people. Punk has a big day coming up this weekend in front of his people in Chicago, but there are a few things going on that he needs to address. First thing’s first: Is is great to be alive on a Monday night in Atlanta or what?! The fans cheer that! Punk then brings up, “What if that was the last time I got to say that?”

The fans boo that idea, but Punk smirks and says, “What if. Finn Balor said ‘What if.’ What if he never lost? Well, Finn, what if you didn’t jump me in Toronto? Bring it back to AJ for a minute, Finn, what if you didn’t ruin what was ultimately, unfortunately, the last time I was gonna share a ring with AJ Styles? The answer to that is very, very simple: You wouldn’t be getting a title shot at Elimination Chamber. But it’s risky being a fighting champion. The people in the back ask me, ‘Punk, what’re you doing?’ And my humble answer is, ‘The best I can.’ I’m doing the best I can. I’m giving you people the fighting champion you deserve.

“I’m following in the footsteps of the greats that I grew up watching, the contemporaries that I shared locker rooms with. Terry Funk, Harley Race, Bret Hart, Shawn Michaels, The Undertaker, Triple H, the list goes on and on! I’m just trying to do the best I can. And I don’t like dealing in what if’s, for one specific reason, and I’ll give you an example. Atlanta, are you ready? What if… What if Roman Reigns was here tonight?” The fans cheer that idea. This is why Punk doesn’t like What If’s, they’re not rooted in reality, because yeah, Roman’s not here. The fans boo that and Punk says he’s here, boots on the ground, every Monday night, every city, every town, every tour, every country!

Punk again asks what if Finn wins and Punk loses. Well, no risk, no reward. The reality is, Roman Reigns is gonna be here next week in Indianapolis. The fans boo that, but Punk asks what if he doesn’t wait until WrestleMania and he just punches Roman in his stupid face next week. The fans like that idea! Punk says he doesn’t deal in what if’s, they’re not rooted in reality, he just deals in facts. So he will let Finn Balor ask what if, he’ll let Roman Reigns ask what if. Punk doesn’t have to ask what if he were champion, because he IS champion! He doesn’t have to ask what if he was good, because eh is the BEST IN THE WORLD!

And Punk doesn’t have to ask what if he was the main event of WrestleMania, because he IS the main event of WrestleMania! Punk is the champ, the Best in the World, he IS C M PUNK! The fans cheer the mic drop as Punk puts it all out there, ready to put it all on the line. But will Elimination Chamber be a hero’s welcome for the Chicago made superstar? Or will the Prince finally have his crown?

Frankie Kazarian is backstage!

The Heavy Metal Rebel is here for his old friend and rival, but wait… Is that a boiler room? Kaz opens the door and SURPRISE! THE ABYSS is here! He puts up his dukes, but then Kaz nods to gorilla and Abyss says okay. TNA icons are here for their old friend, what will the celebration entail now?

Women’s Elimination Chamber Qualifier Triple Threat: Iyo Sky VS Kairi Sane VS Raquel Rodriguez!

With Liv Morgan VS Stephanie Vaquer set for WrestleMania, we now know the Women’s Elimination Chamber sends the winner after Jade Cargill. But that’s not the point, the point is to win your way in! Genius of the Sky, Pirate Princess, or #BigSexy, who wins this main event to take the final spot in the Elimination Chamber?

Raw returns as Raquel makes her entrance, joining Iyo and Kairi in the ring. The bell rings and the three circle. Iyo fires off on Raquel, Raquel shoves her away, but Kairi LARIATS! Raquel stays up, and she BOOTS Kairi right down! Iyo runs up, redirects Raquel, then handsprings! Raquel dodges but Iyo trips her up! Iyo runs to sunset flip but Raquel stays up. Raquel YANKS Iyo up, TOSSES her to a corner, but Kairi joins on for a SLEEPER! Kairi is a backpack until Raquel THROWS her away! Raquel runs up, Iyo & Kairi both dodge, and the former Sky Pirates fire off with CHOPS and forearms on repeat!

Kairi & Iyo double whip Raquel corner to corner, then Kairi runs up to ROCK Raquel! Iyo adds an ELBOW! They high-ten out of instinct, but then they both dodge again! They DOUBLE BOOT Raquel outta the ring, then Kairi CLUBS Iyo! Kairi THROWS Iyo down by her hair, then stomps her! Cocky cover, TWO! Kairi points to the WrestleMania sign, then whips Iyo to ropes. Iyo reverses but Kairi goes up and RANAS! Iyo trips Kairi, covers, ONE! Iyo kicks low, whips her to ropes, then BACKDROPS Kairi away! The fans fire up for Iyo and she waistlocks Kairi. Kairi fights the lift, Raquel returns, but Kairi BOOTS her!

Kairi switches with Iyo but Iyo fights it by grabbing Raquel. Raquel scoops them both!? DOUBLE FALL AWAY SLAM! The fans fire up as Raquel then drags Kairi up and TOSSES her out. Raquel scoops Iyo again, and aims, but Iyo slips free! Iyo shoves Raquel, Kairi DUMPS her out, and then Kairi leaps, but into Raquel’s arms! Iyo ASAI MOONSAULTS to take them both down! The fans fire up with Iyo while Raw goes to break.

Raw returns again as Kairi and Raquel are both down on the outside again. Kairi rises up and she hurries back in. Iyo blocks a shot to SHOTEI! And SHOTEI! And then FLAPJACK! Iyo gets moving, she WRECKS Raquel with a dropkick, then she brings Kairi up to whip. Kairi reverses, Iyo goes up, out, and then around to KICK Kairi in the ropes! Kairi staggers away, but Iyo springboards to MISSILE DROPKICK! Iyo kips up and the fans fire up again! They all do the crazy taunt! Iyo then aims from a corner, runs in, but Raquel POUNCES her! Raquel swings on Kairi, Kairi dodges once, but the SOUTHPAW hits! Cover, TWO!

Raquel drags Kairi right up, and for the TEXANA- NO, Iyo saves Kairi! Then they POST Raquel together! Raquel flops out of the ring but Iyo builds speed to DIVE! Direct hit and down goes Raquel! But Kairi is up top! IN-SANE ELBOW!! The fans fire up again while Raquel goes to barriers. Iyo DROPKICKS Raquel up and over barriers! Kairi URAKENS Iyo! The fans are torn but Kairi puts Iyo in the ring. Iyo is in the drop zone while Kairi climbs up. IN-SANE E- NO, Iyo dodges! Iyo runs up, Kairi catches her to a backslide! TWO!! Iyo escapes in time, and she underhooks Kairi! TIGER BACKBREAKER!

Iyo then steps on Kairi to go up the corner! OVER THE MOONSAULT!! Cover, Raquel drags Kairi out from under Iyo! Raquel then LARIATS Kairi down for good measure! But Iyo ROUNDHOUSES Raquel! And DROPKICKS her to the corner! Iyo runs up, but Raquel puts her on the apron! Iyo ducks a shot to HOTSHOT back! Iyo hurries up the corner, and MISSILE DROPKICKS! Raquel flops into a corner, Iyo runs right in, SHINKANSEN! Iyo then puts Raquel in the drop zone, steps on her to go up the corner, but Raquel gets up under her! The fans rally as Iyo fights off the lift and kicks Raquel away.

Iyo aims and FLYING DDTS! Now she goes up the corner, and OVER- NO, Kairi SHOVES her down! Kairi aims at Raquel, IN-SANE ELBOW but into boots! Raquel hauls Kairi right up, TEXANA BOMB!! Cover, RAQUEL WINS!

Winner: Raquel Rodriguez, by pinfall (advances to Elimination Chamber)

Kairi screwed Iyo over, but that still only got herself on the losing end of things! Ricky Desperado is now headed to Chicago, but will she be the one heading to WrestleMania?

INJURY UPDATE on Bronson Reed!

In a freak accident, it seems Bronson has suffered a torn bicep! He will be out indefinitely, meaning The Vision is down to just Logan Paul & Austin Theory! Will this make them easy pickings for that masked man vigilante?

AJ Styles heads to the ring!

Atlanta fires up as The Phenomenal One makes what could be his last entrance on Monday Night Raw. Styles himself already looks a little emotional, but those are perhaps happy tears welling up as he high-fives fans along the ramp. Styles steps into the ring, and he climbs up onto the corner to throw up the Too Sweet one more time. Everyone gives a standing ovation, even commentary, as Styles grabs the mic. The fans chant, “Thank You, AJ!” “AJ Styles!” Styles smiles as he looks all around the arena. “I was gonna wear a suit tonight, but the last time I did, I beat the piss outta Cody Rhodes, so I thought maybe I don’t wear a suit.”

Styles says he thought this would be easy, so if he gets choked up, it’s not because he’s sad. “I am so grateful to be in Atlanta, Georgia.” The fans cheer, and Styles continues by saying he grew up just 45 minutes down the road in Gainesville, and that means a lot. Styles says not everyone gets to celebrate like this when they retire, so he is incredibly thankful for this night. And he understands that this doesn’t happen very often, so he thanks the fans. At Styles’ core, he’s still the kid from Gainesville that fell in love with pro-wrestling. He wrestled in Gainesville, in the Asylum for TNA in Nashville, and he wrestled in the Tokyo Dome in Japan.

And he even wrestled under the bright lights of WrestleMania. And man, Styles wrestled some OGs. From TNA, Christopher Daniels, Samoa Joe, Frankie Kazarian. They made a mark in pro-wrestling. Not just in TNA but in pro-wrestling! Then with some uncertainty, Styles left TNA to go to NJPW. Styles met some good brothers over there. Those guys, Gallows & Anderson, they showed him what it is like to have fun in pro-wrestling. Not serious all the time. If he’s having fun, then the fans are having fun, and that’s what it is all about. Styles has literally done almost everything. Almost. Styles can tell us this, the one thing he hasn’t done is be a four-time father.

The fans cheer as the Styles family is in the front row. Styles knows they’ve heard this before: missed birthdays, missed anniversaries, missed games. You name it, he missed it. That is tough. Fans think his flex should be that all the world championships he’s won all over the world, but he’ll tell you what it really is. In front of God and everybody, Styles says his biggest flex is having the best wife int he world. The fans cheer Miss Wendy, and Styles says she never slowed him down, never told him to stop, she just pushed him forward and held the family together, even though he watched them grow on Facetime. She is the one, and he loves her.

By the way, he thanks his family for making it. He knows things may not have gone the way anyone wanted to against Gunther at Royal Rumble. The fans boo Gunther, but Styles says that’s not how he thought it would. But here’s the thing when you think about it: It was poetic. Hear him out. Not everyone gets to go out the way they started. His debut in WWE was the Royal Rumble, 2016. His final match was at the Royal Rumble, 2026. The fans do applaud that. Now, Styles knows there are questions, like how he didn’t leave his gloves in the ring. Here’s the thing. Styles is a man of his word, and at the end of the day, all we have is our word.

Styles takes off the vest and sets it down on the mat. The fans don’t know how to feel about that, but Styles says that he didn’t take his gloves off at Royal Rumble because he wanted to bring them home first. He wanted come here to Atlanta and be in this ring so he could leave them at home. Styles takes off his gloves while the fans applaud, and he sets them on top of his vest. From the bottom of his heart, AJ Styles says he would’ve been nothing without us, so thank you for the love. He loves you all right back. Styles waves to the fans and they applaud. Credits start as Styles stands on the corner for one final wave goodbye.

The fans again chant, “Thank You, AJ!” and Styles spots the WWE roster, as well as the refs and producers, step out on stage to applaud this phenomenal farewell. Everyone cheers for “AJ! AJ!” WAIT! The lights go down as the bell tolls! The fans go nuts because yes, as the lights come back up, it’s THE UNDERTAKER! Not just that, it’s American Badass Taker and his motorcycle! Taker rides down the ramp and up to the ring. Styles being Taker’s last opponent, Taker steps into the ring now. Taker looks at the vest and glovers, then at Styles. Taker has a mic, and he asks Styles, “So, you just gonna leave your stuff here and leave?”

Styles says yeah, probably. But Taker says he and Styles have unfinished business. What?! Taker asks Styles if he’s ever heard the saying, “If you see me coming, you’re already gone.” Taker wants to change that a bit. Because if you see him coming, that means you’re going. What? Taker wants Styles to understand, it is his esteemed honor to inform him that Styles is the newest inductee into the WWE Hall of Fame! The fans love it! The two hug it out while the fans chant, “You Deserve It!” The family gets to join Styles in the ring to celebrate the news! Now the Hall of Fame is truly Phenomenal!

My Thoughts:

A very good Raw with a phenomenal ending. Fans had been wondering ever since Royal Rumble if Styles was truly retired, and I think Styles made it pretty clear here tonight that he IS retired, no more wrestling anywhere. And instead of Gunther raining on Styles’ parade at the very end of the show, we got an even greater moment where Styles learned with the rest of us that he was going into the WWE Hall of Fame. That is great news, we all know Styles deserves it, and I think we’ll have a great class for 2026.

Gunther did try and ruin things to start the show, but Adam Pearce shutting that down and then Dragon Lee going after Gunther, that’s good stuff. Gunther VS Dragon should be a thing like next week on Raw or somewhere along the way before WrestleMania. But even then, Gunther likely wins out on that. The real thing is, what does Gunther do after that? Is his WrestleMania moment accepting Brock Lesnar’s WrestleMania Open Challenge? Heyman had a good promo, but he always does a good job with promos, but… Are they doing this to hype up those dates and get more tickets? Or are they actually dragging their feet on who it is because they really just don’t know?

Fans wanted Oba, but it seems Oba’s first Raw feud is going to be Rusev, if he actually signs to Raw. Again, Oba really belongs on SmackDown but whatever, he’ll do great wherever he goes. At least they have a plan for the Women’s Division, because we got a great promo from Dom & Liv with Vaquer and Jade. Liv did a great job playing her part, but I wasn’t fooled for a second. She was being nice to Vaquer and staring down Jade all so she could sucker punch Vaquer, because yeah, she’s facing Vaquer. There is great heat in this feud already, things are only gonna heat up from here on out, this will be great stuff.

The Triple Threat of Iyo, Kairi, and Raquel was a great match, especially as the main event match. I did not fully expect Raquel to win that, because I thought they would give us Iyo in the Chamber with Rhea to see if they could still be friendly. But it seems if they weren’t doing that with #Charlexa, they’re not gonna do that with #RheYo, which is also fine, because tag team dysfunction is rather cliche by this point. Now this can be Raquel going for the win that would lead to Jade’s title, and Jade VS Raquel is a great match idea. Though, there’s still a good chance Tiffany Stratton comes out the winner to make a rematch with Jade.

Very good promo from Judgment Day in their “clubhouse,” and a good solo promo from Finn. Finn forgiving JD was a given, but him shoving things in Dom’s face was a little surprising. CM Punk had a very good promo to not only respond to Finn but to call Roman out for his continued part-timer schedule. Punk VS Finn will be awesome, but yeah, Punk’s winning to keep things as Punk VS Roman for Mania. Assuming Dom gets past Penta, I feel like there’s an option for Dom VS Finn for the Intercontinental Championship, and essentially the power in Judgment Day, all at WrestleMania. That could make for a great moment where JD sticks with Finn as the faction starts to fall apart.

Becky had a very good promo calling out AJ Lee, but this just has to add to how AJ Lee is winning in Chicago. Becky and AJ can still go again at WrestleMania, circling around each other through other matches. Natalya VS Maxxine was certainly interesting with their choice of finish. Maxxine is sent into the post so hard that she’s knocked out, and that sell was almost comedic. Why did they undo the whole “Mad Maxxine” thing they were going with just because Nattie turned Heel? I still argue that was a wrong way to do the turn, and now this is the wrong way to address it. Here’s hoping the next month turns this back around and we can get like, Raw Underground for WrestleMania weekend.

Really fun promo from Evans with Offset and The New Day. Evans VS Kofi was a very good match, and Offset getting involved throwing Waller around was fun, too. Good win for Evans to go into Elimination Chamber, but as I’ve said, he’ll get a great spot involving either his OG Cutter or a Five Star Frog Splash, and then still be eliminated. And very good Men’s Triple Threat Qualifier, with an unfortunate change of plans. Bronson Reed tore his bicep, and the match replay itself showed it was him from simply breaking that cover. On behalf of The Chairshot, I hope him a speedy recovery, hopefully he can be back for Backlash or Clash in Italy, but that’d be at the soonest.

Word already is that Jey was the backup, Bronson was meant to win. Jey now in the Chamber, that does add a nice dynamic of how he and Cody are friends but must now fight each other. They can even spin this as another disappointing loss for Jey that will upset him, adding tension to things between him and Jimmy, and who knows what they choose from there, but WWE is usually pretty good at improvising adjustments like this.

My Score: 8.7/10