Bron Breakker gifts a holiday SPEAR to CM Punk: Raw Recap, Dec. 22, 2025

Summary

Raw Recap with Sam Roberts and Megan Morant

Episode: Bron Breakker gifts a holiday SPEAR to CM Punk: Raw Recap, Dec. 22, 2025
Release Date: December 23, 2025
Podcast: WWE x Fanatics Podcasts

---

Episode Overview

This week’s Raw Recap, hosted by Sam Roberts and Megan Morant, dives into the tumultuous pre-holiday episode of Monday Night Raw on Netflix. The hosts explore major storylines including Austin Theory’s dramatic audition for The Vision, Bron Breakker’s brutal spear to CM Punk, surging star power from Gunther, Becky Lynch’s long-awaited return and feud with Maxine Dupri, Nikki Bella’s bid for respect, and the ever-evolving women’s division. Backstage dynamics, memorable promos, and pivotal matches are all dissected, with insights, predictions, and plenty of signature banter.

---

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Austin Theory's Transformation and Audition for The Vision

[02:04–11:25]

• Theory Revealed as the Masked Man:
  Austin Theory's return after months of absence and injury culminates in him revealing himself as the disruptive masked man, aiming to gain Paul Heyman’s attention and membership in The Vision.

  “For Austin Theory to just walk in and say, 'hey, guys, I'm here to be the newest member of the Vision.' …Nobody likes it. And also, you kind of got to be invited.”
  —Sam Roberts [03:57]

• Paul Heyman's Vetting:
  Theory must prove himself, teaming with Bronson Reed per Heyman’s orders. Heyman’s approach mirrors how Logan Paul was brought in—as a trial, not immediate acceptance:

  “If he wins, great. If he can help us, great. Let’s accept the help. ...If he can't help, if he hasn't improved since the last time we've seen him, kill him.”
  —Sam Roberts [07:00]

• Stomp Finisher & Possible Power Play:
  Theory uses Seth Rollins’ ‘Stomp’ on Rey Mysterio, signaling both his intent and possible message to Rollins and The Vision hierarchy.

  “Is he sending a message to Seth Rollins going, like, we don't need you, or is this Theory going, 'I'm going to be the new leader of this faction?'”
  —Sam Roberts [07:32]

• Group Dynamics:
  Tension highlighted between Theory, Bron Breakker, and Bronson Reed, with Theory eyeing more than just membership:

  “I don’t want the assistant, too. I want to talk to the manager...I think Austin Theory thinks that he can be the number one guy in this faction.”
  —Sam Roberts [09:09]

2. Bron Breakker and the Personal Feud with CM Punk

[12:30–15:22]

• Breakker’s Holiday Spear:
  The show ends with Bron Breakker delivering a massive spear to CM Punk, intensifying their upcoming World Heavyweight Title match.

  “He saw him in half at the end of Raw and was happy about it.”
  —Megan Morant [12:36]

• Breakker’s Promo Tactics:
  Breakker cuts a biting, personal promo, attacking CM Punk’s character and relationships:

  “I've never seen a wrestling promo where the guy says to the other guy, 'you don't care about your wife.' That's crazy for Bron Breakker to say that.”
  —Sam Roberts [12:38]

• Breakker’s Rapid Rise:
  Sam highlights Breakker’s swift elevation since WrestleMania and his now-undeniable main event status.

  “There's nothing about this guy, when you watch him on television, that you don't think, yeah, he's ready now.”
  —Sam Roberts [14:27]

3. Gunther: The Man Who Ruined Christmas—and Retired John Cena

[20:32–31:30]

• Gunther’s Aura & Heat:
  Gunther is presented as a villain who relishes both his reputation and the crowd’s loathing, his “aura” growing since making John Cena tap out.

  “He looks like Krampus...as soon as Gunther's music hits, you go, 'oh, no. He ruined Christmas.'”
  —Megan Morant [21:18]

• Interactions Stoking Fan and Locker Room Fear:
  Gunther’s confrontations with CM Punk, Rey Mysterio, and AJ Styles are treated as threats and power moves—he’s seen as the dark cloud over everyone’s futures.

  “He comes out and allows the fans to boo him so he can feed off of it.”
  —Sam Roberts [25:16]

  “Every time Gunther even looks at a person, we start fantasy-booking and coming up with these matches that we want to see.”
  —Sam Roberts [26:44]

• Potential for More Retirements:
  After Cena and Goldberg, Rey Mysterio and AJ Styles are named as possible future victims.

4. Becky Lynch Returns, Maxine’s Confidence, and the State of the Women’s Division

[34:38–44:07]

• Becky’s Festive Comeback:
  Megan celebrates Becky’s return (and the lifting of a self-imposed protest), highlighting her star presence and new gear.

  “A lot of people said, like, the greatest female wrestler of all time.”
  —Megan Morant [36:51]

• Maxine Dupree Rising:
  Maxine’s confidence soars; she’s beaten Becky three times (via DQ, count-out, and pinfall). Sam is skeptical of the “crooked referee” narrative.

  “‘She's not running...she's saying, all right, let's go again.’”
  —Megan Morant [38:04]

• Age, Legacy, and Athletic Mortality:
  Maxine needles Becky about possibly being past her prime, causing Becky to snap.

  “Maybe what Becky Lynch is dealing with...is the reality that at some point your best years are behind you. That happens to everybody in every sport.”
  —Sam Roberts [40:12]

• Rematch Booked:
  Becky Lynch vs Maxine Dupree for the Intercontinental title is confirmed for January 5th Raw.

5. The Women’s Championship Picture—Nikki Bella’s Demand for Respect

[45:38–51:00]

• Nikki Bella’s Star Status and Aggression:
  Nikki, “so famous,” shifts to demanding respect after feeling overlooked, channeling her frustration into confrontational promos.

  “People forgot. You can't forget. You can't let them forget. You can be respectful, you can be humble, but the minute they start forgetting is when you kind of have to remind them.”
  —Sam Roberts [46:47]

• Triple Threat Feud:
  Nikki Bella, Raquel Rodriguez, and Stephanie Vacaír will face off, with Vacaír’s fighting champion status and Nikki’s renewed aggression making the match unpredictable.

  “If that confidence is real in Nikki Bella, I think there is a greater chance than people realize that Nikki wins the Women's World Championship.”
  —Sam Roberts [50:43]

6. Judgment Day and the Evolution of Liv Morgan

[51:00–53:54]

• Liv’s Leadership & Star Quality:
  Liv Morgan’s influence over the group is growing, orchestrating distractions and bailing Judgment Day out of near-collapse, with commentators and fans noticing her aura.

  “The leadership in Liv Morgan really is remarkable...just when you think, oh, the Judgment Day is going to just completely implode, Liv Morgan comes to save the day.”
  —Megan Morant [52:32]

7. Rhea Ripley, Kabuki Warriors, and the Tag Title Future

[55:13–60:53]

• Ripley’s Crossover Appeal:
  Rhea’s main event presence is continually reinforced, Sam calling her possibly the “single biggest star in WWE.”

  “Rhea Ripley has every potential to immediately...be the single biggest star in WWE.”
  —Sam Roberts [56:39]

• Asuka Gets a Win Over Rhea:
  First-ever win for Asuka over Ripley (with some help) sets the table for a tag title showdown between Kabuki Warriors and Team “Rio” (Rhea & IYO SKY).

  “I would like to see Rhea Ripley one day pin Io Sky....Rhea is very well aware of the fact that she's never pinned Io.”
  —Megan Morant [60:09]

---

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “I don’t want the assistant, too. I want to talk to the manager, and only the manager.”
  —Sam Roberts on Austin Theory [09:09]

• “He [Bron Breakker] saw him [CM Punk] in half at the end of Raw and was happy about it.”
  —Megan Morant [12:36]

• “He looks like Krampus. As soon as Gunther's music hits, you go, 'oh, no. He ruined Christmas.'”
  —Megan Morant [21:18]

• “You can be respectful, you can be humble, but the minute they start forgetting is when you have to remind them.”
  —Sam Roberts on Nikki Bella [46:57]

• “Rhea Ripley...has every potential to immediately...be the single biggest star in WWE.”
  —Sam Roberts [56:39]

• “The leadership in Liv Morgan really is remarkable...Liv Morgan comes to save the day.”
  —Megan Morant [52:32]

---

Important Timestamps

• Austin Theory & The Vision:
  [02:04–11:25]

• Bron Breakker Spears CM Punk:
  [12:30–15:22]

• Gunther Segment/Promos:
  [20:32–31:30]

• Becky Lynch & Maxine Dupree:
  [34:38–44:07]

• Nikki Bella, Stephanie Vacaír, Raquel:
  [45:38–51:00]

• Judgment Day & Liv Morgan:
  [51:00–53:54]

• Rhea Ripley, Kabuki Warriors:
  [55:13–60:53]

• Gift Exchange:
  [60:59–64:48]

---

Tone and Style

The episode is vibrant, playful, and honest, full of the hosts’ signature jockeying, inside jokes, and clear love for the over-the-top world of WWE. Both Sam and Megan blend fan excitement with thoughtful analysis, with Megan’s “Becky Believer” fandom often surfacing and Sam’s sometimes skeptical edge balanced by his encyclopedic wrestling knowledge.

---

Final Thoughts

For anyone who missed this episode of Raw or wants to keep up on the tangled, fast-moving world of WWE storylines, this Raw Recap is an all-in-one behind-the-scenes pass. It highlights not only the week’s pivotal moments but also the personalities and motivations driving the biggest stars—and those poised to break out—in WWE as 2026 approaches.

---

Next Up:
Raw’s stacked January 5th card:

• CM Punk vs. Bron Breakker (World Heavyweight Title)
• Becky Lynch vs. Maxine Dupri (Intercontinental Title)
• Kabuki Warriors vs. Rhea Ripley & IYO SKY (Tag Titles)

Stay tuned for more action, analysis, and unapologetic wrestling fandom!

Transcript

[Toyota Commercial Announcer]

You hear that? That's not just a Toyota truck. That's the sound of no crowds, no alerts, no distractions, and no telling what you'll find next. You know, like a detour. So why would you ever take a tour? And you could take a detour. Toyota trucks.

[Grainger Commercial Announcer]

If you're the purchasing manager at a manufacturing plant, you know, having a trusted partner makes all the difference. That's why, hands down, you count on Grainger for auto reordering. With on time restocks, your team will have the cut resistant gloves they need at the start of their shift. And you can end your day knowing they've got safety well in hand. Call 1-800-GRAINGER click granger.com or just stop by Granger for the ones who get it done.

[Sam Roberts]

Has Austin Theory proven himself to the Vision? Gunther gets rained on with booze. Once again, Becky and Maxine face to face. Nikki Bella is famous and so much more. This is the Raw recap of WWE and fanatics original production. Happy holidays, Megan. We are here. Raw recap is in effect, the last Raw recap before the big day. You feeling festive?

[Megan]

Of course I'm feeling festive. I have my WWE holiday sweater on.

[Sam Roberts]

It's not just WWE that's the final boss. That's right, that's the final boss.

[Megan]

Are rocking around the Christmas tree over here on the Raw recap show.

[Sam Roberts]

Sam Roberts puns make everyone uncomfortable.

[Megan]

Think that's just you. Okay. Every. Everybody else seemed to like it. I hear echoes of laughs from the control room.

[Sam Roberts]

You do?

[Megan]

Yeah, Everybody's laughing about it.

[Sam Roberts]

I guess I just don't have that feed. So listen, I mean, a lot of people are taking some time off, letting business go to the side as they celebrate with friends, family, loved ones. But not Austin Theory. No, Austin Theory is trying to end the year. Right? We get the answers that we've been looking for tonight on Monday Night Raw when Austin Theory walks in and Paul Heyman is the first person that will speak to him. So of course, like Austin Theory, we found out last week, has been the masked man this entire time, who interfered in war games, who interfered post war games. Paul Heyman said, I do not know who that masked man is to Adam Pierce. And based on what Paul Heyman said tonight, he didn't know who the masked man was.

[Megan]

No. And I think based on what Theory said in response to that as well, saying, I wanted you to see what I was going to do before I revealed who I was. You take a look at Austin Theory's past in wwe and this is a man who defeated John Cena at WrestleMania. But since then, there's been a lot of downs in the WWE career of Austin Theory. I think actions speak louder than words in general, but in this case specifically. And I think this is a way that Austin Theory could grab the attention of Paul Heyman and the entire locker room.

[Sam Roberts]

And I'm glad that Austin Theory said that to start the show, because I think that that's been part of the conversation, right, Is that as fans, we've been watching the show, and we've been watching Austin Theory, first of all, for months, not even be on the show because of injury. But before that, not being one of these guys who's at the top of the card and knowing that Austin Theory needs to do things differently now, for Austin Theory to just walk in and say, hey, guys, I'm here to be the newest member of the Vision.

[Megan]

Nobody likes that.

[Sam Roberts]

Nobody likes it. And also, you kind of got to be invited.

[Megan]

Yeah.

[Sam Roberts]

The fact that he. And that's why we get the weeks of masked man stuff, so he can spend multiple instances proving what his value is to the Vision. And even as he came down the aisle, even as I got in the ring, looking at his gear, looking at his haircut, looking at his demeanor, yes, it was a completely different Austin Theory. It was almost like an Austin Theory that maybe has gotten that wake up call that you're right, he had a huge match at WrestleMania 38. He had a huge match at WrestleMania 39. But you're right, WrestleMania 39 was a long time ago. And Austin Theory since then has not found that thing. But Austin Theory is one of these guys that for the last three, four years, people have been saying, future, future star, future star, future star. Which is what the Vision is all about. So it gets to a point where you're like, and this is very interesting with the Vision, because Paul Heyman said to Bron Breaker and Bronson Reed that he is very specific about who he imparts his wisdom onto. But the idea that we get this Austin Theory having to prove himself worthy of Paul Heyman's guidance, of Paul Heyman doing what he did for Bronson Reed and Bron Breaker, it's not that dissimilar from Logan Paul and how Logan Paul joined the Vision, which was basically, I hear what you're saying. He went face to face with Bronson Reed and Bron Breaker and said, I hear what you're saying. I kind of agree with you guys. I want to be the future of this company. Let me show you that. I Can provide value to your group.

[Megan]

I loved the interaction with Paul Heyman and Austin Theory backstage. And Paul, just saying, that's very interesting. Yes, very interesting. Now, had Theory not been the Masked man and approached the Vision as the Austin Theory that we knew before the masked man and said, hey, Paul Heyman, I have a lot of interest in joining the Vision. Paul Heyman says, well, let's see what you can do first, kid. Right now, Austin Theory showed how he can add to the Vision and what he can do. I mean, because of Austin Theory's interference at War games, Bron Breaker pinned CM Punk.

[Sam Roberts]

Right, and now is in line for that world Championship match. Yeah, I think so. And I think too, I really liked the little wrinkle in the story, which was Paul Heyman going to Bronson Reed and Bron Breaker and going tonight. Theory's going to team with Bronson Reed. But the idea being we're gonna see what he does tonight. We're not making him a full time member just because he put a mask on and stomped on people's faces. We're not gonna make him a full time member. He said straight up, if he wins, great. If he can help us, great. Let's accept the help. Paul Heyman is in a space right now where he is accepting of help. And if people line up with what his version of the Vision is, then there are strength in numbers. And I think Heyman knows that. But if he can't help, if he hasn't improved since the last time that we've seen him, kill him.

[Megan]

I would say the audition went pretty well for Theory, though.

[Sam Roberts]

I would say, I mean, a pinfall victory, Yeah, I would say pretty well. I would say Theory proved himself to be an asset. And what about Theory using that Stomp as his finisher? Stomping Rey Mysterio, no mask, no nothing.

[Megan]

What do you think Seth Rollins thinks about that?

[Sam Roberts]

I think that there's a lot for Seth Rollins to be upset about right now. But I mean, yeah, it was like at first, I'm going while he's using the Stomp with the mask on so that he throws people off the scent.

[Megan]

That's what I thought.

[Sam Roberts]

Right.

[Megan]

So, but then when he used it on Rey Mysterio, I said, oh, it's his.

[Sam Roberts]

And he's sending a message too. Now what about this? The last person that used that stomp, is he sending a message to Seth Rollins going, like, we don't need you, or is this Theory going, I'm going to be the new leader of this faction. The last guy that used that stomp was Seth freaking Rollins. And Seth Rollins was leading that faction. It didn't seem like when. When. When Bronson Reed was kind of instructing Austin Theory on what to do. Austin Theory said, no, how about I start the match and I'm not your kid? And then he stepped up. He started the match. He set the pace. He's the one that got the victory. He's the one that created the distractions and diversions that allowed Raw to end with Bron Breaker spearing CM Punk. So, like, is there a part of this where Austin Theory is not trying to join the Vision? He's trying to be the guy in the Vision.

[Megan]

But then what did Bron Breaker say to Bronson Reed? He said, I have your back, not his. That's right.

[Sam Roberts]

But for now. For now. I mean, listen, if these guys have learned anything from Paul Heyman, I mean.

[Megan]

What happens if Bron Breaker is the world heavyweight champion come January 5th? How's anybody else gonna lead that group?

[Sam Roberts]

Oh, that's 100%. Right. But does Austin Theory take a step back, or does Austin Theory go, no, I'm. I want to be the world heavyweight championship? You know, there is.

[Megan]

Well, right now, I think he's. He's got to worry about getting into the Vision first.

[Sam Roberts]

Yeah, I mean, I think there is, but I think he's trying to prove that to Paul Heyman. Yeah. And it doesn't seem like Austin Theory is terribly concerned with trying to prove himself to Bron Breaker or Bronson Reed.

[Megan]

I would agree with that.

[Sam Roberts]

You know, I think he's going like, no, no, no, no. I don't want the assistant, too. I want to talk to the manager, and only the manager. That's the guy that I talk to, because I think Austin Theory thinks that he can be the number one guy in this faction. I think that, you know, to walk in with that attitude is. It can be a difficult. It's a tough nut to crack. However, like you just said, I mean, Theory showing up at the end of this show and stomping Rey Mysterio and. And getting the pin, I don't see him not working with the Vision.

[Megan]

I'm with you.

[Sam Roberts]

You know, I mean. I mean, especially with whatever Theory has done to get himself back to this spot. And look, I mean, you could see on. On. On. On RAW tonight, Christmas trees everywhere. It's kind of just, you know, usually on raw, like, we'll get a miracle on 34th street fight. It's just kind of a celebratory, like, oh, wrestling's fun. It's the holidays show.

[Megan]

I wasn't tonight at all.

[Sam Roberts]

It wasn't. It was business tonight. And Theory was like, I don't take any weeks off. I mean, who returns. Who returns to their job the week before Christmas? That's the craziest thing I've ever heard.

[Megan]

He's got more weeks to get those goals in, right? Yeah.

[Sam Roberts]

Well, you couldn't just sit there and be like, you know what? I'm feeling better. I come back in the new year.

[Megan]

You know, like, nobody starts working out the week of Christmas. The gyms explode.

[Sam Roberts]

We'll do it in the new year. In the new year, but also three days before Christmas, whatever it is. Who's got abs like this guy? Who's got pecs like this guy? The body on Austin Theory. This is like, there's no days off for him.

[Megan]

None.

[Sam Roberts]

And so the idea that, like, he's going like, oh, the show before Christmas. Yeah, that's the show that I'm going to prove my worth. That's the show. And I think it's smart. I think it can't be like, one of those scenarios where it's like. Because, you know, there are a lot of people that. It's like, well, I don't want to take. I don't want to take a day off because I'll slip. I don't want. I don't want to take a day off because then this guy will get ahead. And then everybody right around the holidays goes, okay, we're all taken off. Right? We're all taking our foot off the gas. Right? Okay, then I'm going to take my foot off the gas, too. And all it takes is one guy to be like, I got your boss. I'll put my foot on the gas, and it blows it for everyone. That was Theory tonight, where he's like, no, no, no, no, no. What if I start working? What if I start working now? Like it's already 20, 26? And I think that's what Theory was.

[Megan]

Doing, giving us a little preview for the new year, maybe a hundred percent.

[Toyota Commercial Announcer]

You hear that? That's not just a Toyota truck. That's the sound of no crowds, no alerts, no distractions, and no telling what you'll find next. You know, like a detour. So why would you ever take a tour? And you could take a detour. Toyota trucks.

[Grainger Commercial Announcer]

If you're a maintenance supervisor for a commercial property, you've had to deal with everything from leaky faucets to flickering light bulbs. But nothing's worse than that ancient Boiler that's lived in the building since the day it was built 50 years ago. It's enough to make anyone lose their cool. That's where Grainger comes in. With industrial grade products and dependable, fast delivery, Granger can help with any challenge, from worn out components to everyday necessities. Call click granger.com or just stop by Granger for the ones who get it done.

[Sam Roberts]

And then for the show to end with Bron Breakker spearing CM Punk first.

[Megan]

Of all in a row. He saw him in half at the.

[Sam Roberts]

End of Raw and like, was happy about it. And I mean, the promo that he cut too, on Raw, talking about how, like, you know, you don't, he said, care about anybody. He said, he, he. I've never seen a wrestling promo where the guy says to the other guy, you don't care about your wife. That's crazy for Bron Breakker to say that. I mean, he really wants CM Punk in a state come January 5th.

[Megan]

Yeah, he wants this to get personal and he wants to beat the old CM Punk out of him.

[Sam Roberts]

And for somebody that wasn't necessarily known for speaking into a microphone and for somebody that was more known as a part of a group and really just the last month, Brom Breaker has stuck out so far, like the idea that Brom Breaker is going to be, if not already in that conversation of here are your top guys on Monday Night Raw. Like, you'd have to be a fool not to see that coming. And I don't mean to not to see that coming, like within the next year or two. I mean, to see that coming within the next week or two.

[Megan]

Now.

[Sam Roberts]

Now. Right now.

[Megan]

I loved that backstage interaction when Paul Heyman was talking to Bronson Reed and Bron Breaker and he said to Bronson Reed, where were you 18 months ago?

[Sam Roberts]

Right.

[Megan]

What were you up to 18 months ago?

[Sam Roberts]

Right?

[Megan]

And then he turned to Bron Breaker and he said, what were you doing a year ago? Were you making calls to take out people like Seth Rollins? Because that was your call. And then thinking about the year that Bron Breaker has had, it's pretty wild.

[Sam Roberts]

Yeah, he's elevated tremendously right under everybody's noses. And I don't know that Bron Breaker has gotten enough credit for how far he's gone and really only since end of April, really just the last six, seven months.

[Megan]

The Raw after WrestleMania.

[Sam Roberts]

Yeah. Yeah. And then, but then like that Raw After WrestleMania makes a statement and then just goes, goes, goes, goes. That gets you to the point where you're at now where you're. Where you're looking into 2026 and wondering if on the first show of the new year, Broad Breaker is going to be the World Heavyweight Champion, if he's going to be the one who takes out CM Punk? Because I think, you know, while there is this sort of thing that we're watching with theory trying to join this group, the one person who is absolutely solidified in his position is Bron Breaker. And on a very real level, for somebody who's as young as Breaker is, to see him in this sort of space, look, sound, feel as confident as he does is pretty remarkable. There's nothing about this guy, when you watch him on television that you don't think, yeah, he's ready now.

[Megan]

Do you think that Bron Breakker is going to be able to get the old CM Punk out of CM Punk on January 5th?

[Sam Roberts]

I think he's going to come as close as one can get, you know, and I. And, you know, like, there are reasons why people change, you know, and also.

[Megan]

Some change is good.

[Sam Roberts]

Change is usually good. If you're deliberately changing, hopefully it's for a good reason, because if not, you've wasted your time. But, you know, I think that people forget 20, 25 centimeters punk is the one that won the World Heavyweight championship twice. Like, 20 25cm punk is the man on Monday Night Raw right now. So the idea that, like, 2025 centimeter punk is the 1 centimeter punk that made it to the main event of WrestleMania. So I think that. I think that whether it's 20, 25 centimeters punk, whether it's 2011 centimeter punk, whether it's 20, 30 centimeters punk, it has to be the Punk that. That. That CM Punk wants it to be. What CM Punk can't do is let Bron Breaker set the pace and fall into a trap like that. You know what I mean? Like, don't lead with your emotions, because Bron Breaker knows that that's something CM Punk is kind of famous.

[Megan]

And that's why Bron Breaker is saying things like, you don't even care about your wife.

[Sam Roberts]

I know, but I mean, I was also watching that, going like, oh, my God. Like, this is a guy who, like CM Punk. He said that CM Punk went to him at WrestleMania and said, let's see if you can cut a promo. Like, this was not a guy who talked a lot.

[Megan]

Confirmed he can.

[Sam Roberts]

And now it's like, oh, my God. He's the one with his words that is telling us this story. It's amazing. But, you know, speaking of confidence. People probably want to know why I'm feeling so confident right now.

[Megan]

I was wondering. There does seem to be a little something different about you today.

[Sam Roberts]

Well, that's a glow. It's a big time glow. And that's because. Well, it's because of my new accoutrement, my new accessories, my new jewelry from gld. Yes. I love gld. As a matter of fact, I'm obsessed with gld because, you know, I've always, I've always been looking into acquiring more, More jewelry, you said for myself, accessorizing a little bit more. But, but men's jewelry, it's impossible. It's either all way out of your price range or the quality is absolutely terrible. Nobody specializes in it the way they should. But now, now you've got gld. And GLD is different quality pieces that are built to last. They don't break. Look at it. They don't. I'm wearing one right now.

[Megan]

I know you. You hung a little Sam from it earlier. That's right.

[Sam Roberts]

And, and it's still sturdy as it's ever been. Like it just came out of the box. It's always real gold in every piece. You can really feel and you can see the quality in person. GLD's proprietary production process has quality and shine. And that is on another tier. I mean, when you put on the GLD chain, when you put one of these on, you're going to feel like, like I'm telling you right now, I walked in here today and this is not an exaggeration. Megan, you could back me up. You, the crew, everybody, you all said, man, there is something different about Sam. And that's what they said. We're going to build a split screen. Maybe Megan will just co host with the necklace. And, and I said I wouldn't blame you. Look at that. Megan and the chain breaking down raw every single Monday night. People would tune in.

[Megan]

Are you trying to nickname yourself the Chain?

[Sam Roberts]

I'm saying because it is so Chain Roberts. And it's. And it's subtle too. Like you could get it. They, they have, you know, every type of piece that you're looking for. So it can fit your vibe, it can fit your look.

[Megan]

Something a little.

[Sam Roberts]

Thank you. Thank you. Something a little subtle, something a little bigger. Whatever you want. GLD has it all. They got chains, they got pendants, they got rings, they got earrings, they got fully iced out watches. So you can find the perfect gift for anyone on your list. You don't have to just take my word for it. Although obviously I look like a million bucks. There's over 2 million customers. 50,000 five star reviews worn by stars like Justin Bieber, Micah Parsons, Kevin Durant, asap, Rocky the last professional broadcaster, Sam Roberts, and more. GLD stands by the quality of their jewelry. Every piece comes with a lifetime warranty, which I love. Work hard and change the game. Right now, GLD is making holiday shopping easy. For a limited time, only new customers get an insane deal. Use Code Raw recap to get 50% [e-mail]. that's 5. Oh percent off with code raw [e-mail] after you purchase, they'll ask where you heard about them. Please support our show and tell them that RAW recap sent you. I mean, it's, it's. I. I don't say this lightly. It's a life changer.

[Megan]

I can't believe the last professional broadcaster's name is up there with the big shots like Justin Bieber.

[Sam Roberts]

Of course it is.

[Megan]

Good for you.

[Sam Roberts]

Of course it is. You know, where else would it be? Speaking of big shots, Gunther is a different animal. People use this word aura, and they use it all the time. And it's sometimes hard to figure out where aura sets in. Like, for me, I picked up my aura when I put the chain on. But for Gunther, it happened right after he beat John Cena. As John Cena tapped, that aura started building. Cause, man, I mean, tonight, watching Gunther come out and symphony number nine kicks.

[Megan]

In, he's standing there with the Christmas trees. This is supposed to be a RAW that's celebratory.

[Sam Roberts]

He looks like Krampus.

[Megan]

As soon as Gunter's music hits, you go, oh, no. I mean, he ruined Christmas.

[Sam Roberts]

It's like the lights go down. But unlike. And I don't know if this is just because of the vibes or because of an aesthetic. I don't. But. But, like, unlike. Usually when it feels like the lights just go out, it's almost like when symphony number nine hits and the lights go down, it's almost like they surround you, like they're coming in on you. Right? And then Gunther hits out on the screen and it's just like, oh, we were having such a good time. I told you. He's there to kill the fun.

[Megan]

And it's crazy. The Symphony number nine, when he came back for the tournament, that's when the old music came back as well. Yeah, but I feel like it's heightened in the difference that it makes ever since he.

[Sam Roberts]

Absolutely, absolutely. It means something different. And you look at the way this guy Smiles the way this guy smiles as he walks out and gets real hatred, vitriol. I mean, true animosity from all of the fans in Grand Rapids.

[Megan]

And the way he soaks it in.

[Sam Roberts]

Oh, he loves it. He loves hearing every boo. He loves realizing that he has ruined.

[Megan]

I mean, look at these fans.

[Sam Roberts]

All of these fans days.

[Megan]

Look at them.

[Sam Roberts]

I mean, it's just like. Like. I mean, just discuss. Like, I don't want to see this guy. You know what I mean? The purse lips that, like, who does he think he is? But he knows who he is. He's the guy that tapped out John Cena. I mean, like, this is.

[Megan]

He's into it.

[Sam Roberts]

This is passion.

[Megan]

Mm.

[Sam Roberts]

Okay. This is a guy who probably doesn't feel this strongly about just about anything, but when he sees Gunther, he's gotta make his voices heard. Look, you still have members of the chain gang soldiers out in the audience, okay? People in the C Nation who show up in their chain gang jerseys and they're booing Gunther because they know they're never gonna get back what Gunther took away from them. All of the conversation. He said he was never going to give up, and he gave up. You know how much I mean, adults having this conversation. I don't understand. The shirt said, never give up. How could he give up? I'm so upset. And Gunther goes, thank you for fueling me with that. With that rage, with that sadness, with all these feelings that you don't know what to do with. Put them upon me because I feed off of them. He's like a negative energy vampire.

[Megan]

Not that Gunter ever lacked any sort of confidence, but his chest is puffing out a little bit more.

[Sam Roberts]

It's a different.

[Megan]

Ever since he retired, John Cena.

[Sam Roberts]

100%. Like, the level of confidence, and it's like all the boos feed that confidence.

[Megan]

And the smile, the dimples, the way he goes back for seconds and thirds and fourths as he did something that.

[Sam Roberts]

Nobody else can do. And no matter what, no matter what the fans say about Gunther, no matter the glares that he gets in the locker room, no matter who comes out and confronts him, I did a thing that you couldn't do. And if you could have done it, you would have done it, but you couldn't do it. I could, and I feel great about it.

[Megan]

I ruined your lives.

[Sam Roberts]

Yeah, that's right.

[Megan]

You're welcome.

[Sam Roberts]

Gunther has now slept. What is it, 16 times 16, 15. 16.

[Megan]

Night sleep like a baby.

[Sam Roberts]

Like a baby. And he has not woken up once going, maybe I shouldn't Have. No, he's very happy that he did. He's very happy. Pure evil with the spot that he was in. Even, like, when they try to get to him, these fans, they try to get to him and they chant, you tapped out. You tapped out. Guess what? Whether he tapped out or not, anything that he did before making John Cena.

[Megan]

Give up doesn't matter.

[Sam Roberts]

It's null and void. And he knows that. That's why they go, you tapped out. He's like, okay, guys, I loved the interaction.

[Megan]

Brief, but I loved the interaction he had with Rey Mysterio.

[Sam Roberts]

Oh, well, okay, okay, let's get there. Because he comes out and really, like, he serves no purpose other than to just come out and allow the fans to boo him so he can feed off of it.

[Megan]

Yeah, I saw they kept promoting all night. We're going to have Gunter on the show. I said, for what?

[Sam Roberts]

For what? And then CM Punk comes out first and confronts Gunther in the ring face to face. And even though he's the World Heavyweight Champion, Gunther could care less. And honestly, I'm sitting there going like, dude, you got Braun Breaker to worry about. Yeah, you're the World Heavyweight Champion.

[Megan]

Not Guenther. Not now.

[Sam Roberts]

If I'm CM Punk, the last thing that I'm doing is going, hey, Gunther, I'd love to teach you a lesson. No. Keep your title for as long as you can.

[Megan]

You've been sawed in half by Bron Breaker two weeks in a row on Raw.

[Sam Roberts]

Right? Right. Deal with that. Yeah, because you can't. There's no way you can convince me that if CM Punk put his title on the line against Gunther right now, that he would keep that title. It's a disagreement.

[Megan]

I think any title would be safe right now against Gunter.

[Sam Roberts]

I would agree with that.

[Megan]

Any title.

[Sam Roberts]

I would agree 100%.

[Megan]

Any brand anywhere.

[Sam Roberts]

To the point where fans would show up to the building going, I think Gunther's gonna take it from us again. I don't want him to, but I think he is. And then he leaves. And I want to get to your moment because I'm so glad you brought it up, because, I mean, it might have been my favorite moment of the night. He leaves CM Punk, and already, like, every time Gunther even looks at a person, we start fantasy booking and coming up with these matches that we want to see. You wouldn't love to see CM Punk versus Gunther?

[Megan]

I would, yes, Would love to. I texted you that.

[Sam Roberts]

Yeah, I want to see this match. Oh, wait, wait, wait. Now he's looking at Rey Mysterio. And he confronts Rey Mysterio in the aisle way as Rey Mysterio is coming out for his match. And I've got to tell you, since I'm a little kid, there is nothing that I love more than two wrestlers interacting in the aisle way when one wrestler is coming out for their match and the other wrestler is going away and then this confrontation happens that never would have happened before. I. It's one of these little.

[Megan]

Everything counts, all these seeds.

[Sam Roberts]

I love it.

[Megan]

We can overanalyze it.

[Sam Roberts]

I love it.

[Megan]

And you love it even more when it's Rey Mysterio, because that's. That's. That's one of your favorites. I know you'll say he's a deadbeat.

[Sam Roberts]

He's a deadbeat. He's one of the worst dads of all time, but one of the best wrestlers of all time. Is that fair?

[Megan]

Yes. Thank you. Okay. Thank you so much.

[Sam Roberts]

Good. Credit where credit is due. He's just the worst at being a dad, but amazing as far as being a professional wrestler. And luckily, he's not my dad. So Gunther confronting Rey Mysterio. And, you know, it's like when Gunther retired Goldberg and John Cena in the same year, we started compiling those lists of people that maybe because WWE is at a very interesting spot right now, there are people that have been there, like Rey Mysterio for decades.

[Megan]

Yep.

[Sam Roberts]

There are people that are just now getting to the top of the card, like Gunther. And there are people that, you know are the future, like Javon Evans, who we saw earlier tonight. But Rey Mysterio is on that list of being like. When you look at Rey Mysterio wrestle, you can't believe the. The level that he's performing at at this point in his career. And you also look at Rey Mysterio as somebody that he's already a Hall of Famer. He should be honored for his career. Like, this is a guy who you should put up on a pedestal. And.

[Megan]

And everybody backstage should look at him that way 100%.

[Sam Roberts]

And the minute that Gunther shows up and just looks down at Rey Mysterio, laughing at him, it's almost like this moment that you go, oh, my gosh, at this point in Rey's career, could he be helpless? Gunther, to me, is almost looking at Ray going, you are here until I deem it that you shouldn't be anymore. The idea of Gunther, like, of all.

[Megan]

Things, having that much control.

[Sam Roberts]

Oh, my God.

[Megan]

In WWE and ruining.

[Sam Roberts]

But knowing I could ruin this for you if I can tap out John Cena I could destroy the last chapter in your career.

[Megan]

You guys like him. You like watching him wrestle.

[Sam Roberts]

You guys love Ray, right?

[Megan]

That's fun.

[Sam Roberts]

No more. Yeah, exactly, Exactly. It's fun. And what do we like to end fun. Like, I didn't even consider Rey Mysterio. But like I said, every single time that Gunther looks at somebody else, I go, oh, my gosh, that could be it.

[Megan]

I know.

[Sam Roberts]

And I think it draws even more intrigue, the fact that he doesn't really say it's two weeks in a row now that he just shows up on Raw and goes, yep, I'm here.

[Megan]

Because these are more than just staredowns with Gunter, especially Guenther, post retiring John Cena.

[Sam Roberts]

Yes.

[Megan]

These are threats.

[Sam Roberts]

Threats and also like laughing in your face. Do something. Do something.

[Megan]

And it's a reality that we live in.

[Sam Roberts]

And he even gave CM Punk the. I mean, it's the worst. You can't see me of all time. But the fact that it's so bad is, like, makes it even more insulting. He's mocking it 100%. And then he sees AJ Styles again. Again, the second confrontation. Another one who. It's like A.J. styles has said, you know, I probably got 2026. That's.

[Megan]

And we sit here and think, can't we just enjoy the rest of A.J. styles career? Yeah, can't we just enjoy it?

[Sam Roberts]

Yeah, I. I mean, no, no. You know why we can't? Because here's Gunther, Gunther's here, and he won't allow that to happen. And AJ Styles goes, you know, you just don't know when to. When to shut up, do you? And Gunther goes, I guess I don't. He's just laughing. I guess. Not aj. I guess I don't. But I mean, just seeing Gunther in all this glory as an absolute terror to the entire locker room is. I mean, it's, It's. It's amazing. It's a. I mean, for me, I think next year, the journey that Gunther is on, because I love a tragedy as much as I love a happy ending, I cannot wait to watch. I'm going to stand far away from it, but I cannot wait to watch the journey that this guy goes on because he just, like, his awfulness just leaps out of the screen.

[Megan]

The impact he's going to make on the entire landscape of WWE in 2026.

[Sam Roberts]

It'S going to be so crazy. Speaking of crazy, I got an idea for a crazy. Good holiday gift, huh? How about this? Aura frames. We love aura frames. And for anybody that's still hunting down the right gift, Aura frames is not only gonna make it easy for you, but they're gonna make it look like you had the whole thing planned from the beginning.

[Megan]

I love that.

[Sam Roberts]

Here's the thing with aura frames. You order it for a loved one, but without even opening the box, you can pre program it to have unlimited photos and videos already on it. You could have a personalized message. And then all the photos and videos you want, photos of the kids, photos of friends, photos of a vacation, you just upload them onto the Aura app and it's that simple. As many as you want, as often as you want. And when they put that aura frame up, they're going to be able to see not only everything that's pre programmed on, but throughout the year you can keep adding and keep adding and keep adding. No more like looking at the group text and trying to find this photo and that photo another. All beautifully on display on this aura frame. I have one in my home. I've given one to my loved ones. It is the best gift and it's one of the rare Christmas gifts that you'll see next year. You'll give the aura frame and you'll actually come over and you'll go over to the house at Easter. Oh, the aura frames up. And you'll go over to the house at Halloween. Oh, the aura frame's still there. And you'll go over to the house next Christmas. I can't believe it. The gift that I gave is the only one that's still there. What happened to the jelly of the month club? Well, I unsubscribed. Who wants jelly of the month? No, Aura of frames is where you go. I mean, here's the thing. Not only can you preload them, but they come in these beautiful gift boxes, so you don't even have to wrap them. Beautiful gift box. No price tag, no nothing. Just ready to slide right under the tree and boom, you got the best gift of the holidays. You love the aura frame, Megan.

[Megan]

Love my aura frame.

[Sam Roberts]

It's the best.

[Megan]

No more shared albums. No, we got it all here on Aura.

[Sam Roberts]

That's right. That's right. And for a limited time, you can save on the perfect gift by visiting auraframes.com to get $35 off Aura's best selling Carver Matte frames, name number one by Wirecutter by using promo code RAW recap at checkout. That's auraframes.com promo code RAW RECAP. This deal is exclusive to listeners and frames sell out fast. So order yours now to get it in time for the holidays. Support the show by mentioning RAW recap at checkout. Terms and conditions apply.

[Megan]

I'm really glad I didn't get you Jelly of the Month for Christmas.

[Sam Roberts]

What's that?

[Megan]

You're gonna have to wait till the end of the show. Got you a little present here. Wrapped it and everything myself.

[Sam Roberts]

Oh, yeah, I got your. I got yours here, too. So you're gonna.

[Megan]

It matches your shirt.

[Sam Roberts]

Yeah, I didn't.

[Megan]

The wrapping paper does.

[Sam Roberts]

I didn't wrap mine, but I got your. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I got yours over here, too.

[Megan]

Great. I can't wait.

[Sam Roberts]

Oh, we're doing gift exchanges.

[Megan]

Yeah. At the end of the show. It'll be great, huh?

[Sam Roberts]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, I got yours.

[Megan]

Got something good?

[Sam Roberts]

Oh, yeah, A lot about it. Okay, that's great. That's great.

[Megan]

You're gonna love yours.

[Sam Roberts]

Same, same. I was thinking about you a lot when I picked it out. Speaking of somebody that's been thinking about me a lot, Becky Lynch.

[Megan]

She sure has.

[Sam Roberts]

Came out.

[Megan]

Oh, finally. The protest is over. That's why I was able to wear your Final Boss. Yeah, I can wear. Yes, I can wear my. The Rock Christmas sweater.

[Sam Roberts]

Yeah, we were.

[Megan]

Because Becky's finally back, Right. On Monday Night Raw. And it was an early Christmas gift for me.

[Sam Roberts]

You loved it.

[Megan]

Of course I did.

[Sam Roberts]

Right.

[Megan]

It's been a while. We haven't seen Becky back on RAW since she lost the Intercontinental title. Well, that's. You know, that's still being worked out in the court of law.

[Sam Roberts]

And then she tapped out at war games, don't forget.

[Megan]

She didn't tap. She doesn't tap. She's not a quitter like John Cena. That's just what she said.

[Sam Roberts]

No, she did. On the Internet. No, she said that.

[Megan]

She said that.

[Sam Roberts]

No, she said that.

[Megan]

I did not call Cena a quitter.

[Sam Roberts]

No, no, she did.

[Megan]

Yes, she said.

[Sam Roberts]

On SiriusXM.

[Megan]

She did.

[Sam Roberts]

Yeah. Yeah, Listen, Maxine was supposed to come out, and then Becky lynch comes out. Here comes the man. Shout out to miserable Michigan. Who gets to be the place?

[Megan]

Is she wrong, though? In December, isn't everybody in Michigan miserable?

[Sam Roberts]

I mean, I don't know. It's the holidays. People in Michigan love the holidays as well. Michigan's a great place. Faygo. You know, the whole thing.

[Megan]

Sure.

[Sam Roberts]

Jack White, Eminem, Insane Clown Posse. What's not to love about Michigan?

[Megan]

Well, there were certainly no rapids in Grand Rapids.

[Sam Roberts]

Okay, well, I didn't. Also, I don't think they probably appreciated that Becky lynch acted like she was some, like, you know, Detective that had uncovered this great mystery about Grand Rapids. But Grand Rapids, a great place, obviously. She pronounced. She, you know, said very. She spoke very highly of herself. I guess she's.

[Megan]

What's.

[Sam Roberts]

I mean, she's been in meetings with people at Netflix.

[Megan]

Yes, A lot of the big wigs at Netflix. The biggest. The biggest wigs.

[Sam Roberts]

The biggest wigs at Netflix. At Netflix, which I had no idea that's how you describe.

[Megan]

Did you see her outfit? She looked great, by the way. Did you see the outfit?

[Sam Roberts]

I mean. Yeah, yeah. With the. With the fur coat and the.

[Megan]

And the. And the new shirt.

[Sam Roberts]

The new shirt tucked into the pants like the kids do.

[Megan]

She looks great. I loved the. The shoes of it all.

[Sam Roberts]

The shoes of it all. You loved the shoes of it all?

[Megan]

Yeah. She had little high tops, Adidas on.

[Sam Roberts]

Oh, well, yeah, no, I guess. No, she looked great.

[Megan]

She looked the best. The greatest. A lot of people said, like, the greatest female wrestler of all time.

[Sam Roberts]

Who?

[Megan]

Sports Illustrated, espn, Bleacher Report. Everybody has been saying it.

[Sam Roberts]

Yeah. It's interesting, though, because Maxine said, yeah, Becky may be the goat, but Maxine's the rookie that beat the goat. Maxi got very fired up tonight. I loved this version of Maxine. I like that Maxine has been training in the dungeon and is getting more aggressive in her matches. And then it has that level of confidence now, you in her promos where she's able to step right up to Becky lynch and she was getting fired up.

[Megan]

It's definitely a new side considering that, yes, Maxine has technically beaten Becky lynch three times.

[Sam Roberts]

Three times, baby. But that in all the best ways, too.

[Megan]

She's not running.

[Sam Roberts]

Dq, count out and pinfall and crooked referees. I don't know about that.

[Megan]

Confirmed.

[Sam Roberts]

By who?

[Megan]

By the greatest female wrestler of all time. That there's a crooked referee.

[Sam Roberts]

What's her name?

[Megan]

Her name's Becky Lynch.

[Sam Roberts]

No, I meant the referee.

[Megan]

Oh, crooked car.

[Sam Roberts]

Oh, crooked car. I see, I see.

[Megan]

But Maxine isn't running from Becky Lynch. She's not saying, look, I beat you three times. I've made a point. She's saying, all right, let's go again.

[Sam Roberts]

Right, let's go again. What's going to make this one any different from the last three? And that's a good question. You think Becky lynch is really. I mean, when she's sitting there, when she's vlogging, when she's tweeting in the middle of the night, when she's obsessing, when her cap locks is broken because she keeps hitting it so much, you Think that she's really focusing on how she might actually be able to beat Maxine this time.

[Megan]

Well, she has a, she has a lot on her plate. I mean, Becky lynch is, is a, is a woman that's in high demand here. I mean, she's, she's, she's starring in Star Trek. Cannot wait to see that she has this massive legal case on her hands with the corruption in wwe.

[Sam Roberts]

That's her case. She's not in demand.

[Megan]

She's meeting with big wigs. The biggest wigs.

[Sam Roberts]

I forgot about the biggest wigs at Netflix.

[Megan]

She's going to be a key figure in wwe. Unreal. That's coming out, you know, just about a month from today.

[Sam Roberts]

Oh, that's true.

[Megan]

So she has a lot on her plate.

[Sam Roberts]

Right.

[Megan]

I don't think she's exactly, you know, she's going to sleep thinking about the title, but I don't know if she's thinking about Maxine and all the work that Maxine's been putting in.

[Sam Roberts]

Well, she should be because she hasn't, she didn't figure out how to beat Maxine before. Maxine has got her number. Clearly. She's been able to beat her in every type of different way. 3 and, oh, I don't know, what makes you think that, like, just because Becky wants another man and wouldn't that be interesting if instead of trying to like create some kind of legal lawsuit or something like that, that she just got back in the gym and went to and trained and got a rematch. Wouldn't that be interesting to just try to win the title back?

[Megan]

She does a lot of training. I see it on her vlog.

[Sam Roberts]

5:00Am the sun was up. I mean, in a 12:00 clock position, it was as high as it could get.

[Megan]

She does a very hot sauna, a very cold, cold plunge. I see this all on her vlogs.

[Sam Roberts]

Right.

[Megan]

She's working.

[Sam Roberts]

Right.

[Megan]

It's really amazing how one person can focus on so many things.

[Sam Roberts]

Yeah. No, I was just thinking that I'm.

[Megan]

Kind of in awe.

[Sam Roberts]

She punched Maxine in the face as well.

[Megan]

Yeah, Maxine pushed a button.

[Sam Roberts]

Well, Maxine said that, that, that maybe what Becky lynch is dealing with, and this is a very real thing for all athletes, is the reality that at some point your best years are behind you. That happens to everybody in every sport. At some point your best years are behind you. And she wondered if that were the case for Becky lynch and that caused Becky lynch to snap.

[Megan]

If Becky is scared of that. Yeah. Because that's a terrifying reality for any athlete in any sport.

[Sam Roberts]

You think it might be true for Becky?

[Megan]

I don't think it's true at all. But I do think that Maxine went there and bought property. Yeah, right.

[Sam Roberts]

Yes. Moved right in.

[Megan]

She knows that this is something, as people age in their career, they think, how long can I do this for? Now, I don't think personally that Becky Lynch's best days are behind her. I think she is plenty more years ahead of her. But, you know, that thought has crossed Becky's mind at some point, like it does for every athlete. Hey, I can't do this forever. And the fact that Maxine, who's holding the intercontinental title that she won off of Becky lynch said it. That caused Becky to snap. Yes.

[Sam Roberts]

Yeah. I mean, that is true. Right. It's like Becky's actually, like, for real, had a remarkable year and is doing, like, the fact that at this point, as high as she's been on the card, that she's doing new work and working with new people and presenting herself in a new way and evolving and evolving and evolving is really impressive. But I'm sure that when you lose, when you leave, when you end the year on a series of big losses that were legit, it's probably. It probably does weigh on you.

[Megan]

I was with you until you said legit right there.

[Sam Roberts]

Like legit losses via such things as pinfall submission. You know, she didn't count out.

[Megan]

She did not tap out.

[Sam Roberts]

What was she doing in the War Games?

[Megan]

Was calling members of her team over.

[Sam Roberts]

As they were laying on the ground.

[Megan]

She was just trying to get their attention.

[Sam Roberts]

I see.

[Megan]

See, this is one of the things that's very difficult about being Becky lynch and getting to the level that she's gotten to. It's hard to find people who you can communicate with, you can get on the same page with, because the reality is there's just not a lot of people on her level.

[Sam Roberts]

You think that the reason the War Games team did not come to her aid was because they didn't understand what she was saying because she's too famous?

[Megan]

No, not. Not necessarily famous, but high level.

[Sam Roberts]

Do you think it might be because Iyo, Sky Swanton herself off a cage with a garbage can on her head on top of them? Maybe that was more what it was.

[Megan]

No, it's just. It's. It's very difficult to. To get on the same level as Becky Lynch. That's all.

[Sam Roberts]

I see. I see. Well, we got the match. The match was made official January 5th. We just. We have a. We have a third match added to that big episode of Monday Night Raw. Not only do we have CM Punk versus Bron Breaker for the World Heavyweight title, not only do we have EO and Ria getting their tag title shot at the Kabuki warriors, but now Becky lynch does have a rematch. Becky lynch vs Maxine Dupree for the Intercontinental Championship. Do you think Maxine Dupree's title reign is going to be this short?

[Megan]

The edge I've seen out of Maxine Dupree, it doesn't seem like she's going to let go of that title easily.

[Sam Roberts]

No, I don't think so. I don't think so. I think Becky lynch better start, like, not worrying so much about meetings and lawyers and.

[Megan]

You know, for as much as I love Becky and I am the number one Becky Believer, and if any person can handle as much on their plate.

[Sam Roberts]

Oh, boy.

[Megan]

As she has right now, it is the greatest female wrestler of all time, Becky Lynch. But she has a lot going on. I didn't say she couldn't handle it.

[Sam Roberts]

Right.

[Megan]

If anyone can, it's her. But she has a lot of distractions right now.

[Sam Roberts]

Does it give you pause?

[Megan]

No. Becky Believer, number one.

[Sam Roberts]

Yeah, right.

[Megan]

Right there. Number one.

[Sam Roberts]

You won't.

[Megan]

Swear to God. I swear to God. If Crooked Carr is the referee in this match, null and void.

[Sam Roberts]

You think that she is Crooked?

[Megan]

We have proof, okay. We have evidence.

[Sam Roberts]

Okay. I feel like a lot of this is you not telling the truth because the last time you even sort of spoke against Becky lynch, she started yelling at you online. And you don't like that.

[Megan]

I was giving out coats with Maxine Dupre to children who needed coats, all right? And they said you have to do it with Maxine Dupre. What, am I supposed to sit there and protest giving out coats because Maxine Dupre is there?

[Sam Roberts]

No, you should give the kids coats.

[Megan]

Yeah. Where I went wrong is I shouldn't have posted a picture about it as a Becky Believer. I shouldn't have done that. That's on me.

[Sam Roberts]

You love the flex.

[Megan]

I know. I'm here with the champ. Here with the champ? You blame me? You love a flex, too.

[Sam Roberts]

No, no, no. Flexing is great.

[Megan]

I mean, you flex every day. You literally carry your action figure around in your pocket.

[Sam Roberts]

He comes with me.

[Megan]

You're flexing right now. We're in that sweet chain.

[Sam Roberts]

Hey, man, I just want to let people know what it is. You know what I mean? And that's what you have to do sometimes. Speaking of letting people know what it is, have we. Have you seen what we're getting from Big Jimmy uso, Big Brother Jim.

[Megan]

I didn't see this.

[Sam Roberts]

Jimmy USO has just dropped a new tee. The Big Jim USO shirt. You can grab yours now at WWE Shop and Fanatics. You can rep Big Jim USO all day. Ooze. There's a whole line by the way of Big Jim USO merch that's up now. That's really, really cool. Kind of baseball inspired stuff that. Yeah, I like it. You got to support Big Brother Jim.

[Megan]

Big Papa Jim and Big Papa Jim.

[Sam Roberts]

Oh, it's going to be 20, 26 for Big Jim and you can support him right now. Speaking of support, I think the person I'd like to see get supported a little bit more is somebody who also considers themselves one of, if not the best women's wrestler currently on the planet. That person is a former WWE Women's champion, former Divas champion, Hall of Famer, and very, very famous. Nikki Bella, she is so famous. You gotta give that to her. She's very famous.

[Megan]

And you know what? That's what famous looks like. This right here is what famous looks like. And that's why everybody wants to be famous.

[Sam Roberts]

If I were as famous as Nikki Bella, I would look like that as well.

[Megan]

She looks amazing.

[Sam Roberts]

I think so, too.

[Megan]

But this Nikki Bella is demanding respect.

[Sam Roberts]

Well, I mean, look, there comes a time when you have to demand it. There comes a time when you try to be humble. And Nikki Bella did such a wonderful thing. She tried to be humble.

[Megan]

She came into the locker room, said, I'm gonna earn my way. I'm gonna prove to everybody that I belong with this era.

[Sam Roberts]

Yes.

[Megan]

And then eventually everybody forgot who she was.

[Sam Roberts]

People forgot. You can't forget. You can't let them forget. You can be respectful, you can be humble, but the minute they start forgetting is when you kind of have to remind them.

[Megan]

That's when you go into Michigan and you tell everybody that the Philadelphia Eagles are way better than the Detroit Lions.

[Sam Roberts]

I mean, shouting out everybody, the Eagles, Ohio State. It was not a game for Nikki Bella. She came with violence on her mind.

[Megan]

Yeah. She said to all of you, it's time that you remember me.

[Sam Roberts]

Right?

[Megan]

And I'm going to make you feel this.

[Sam Roberts]

That's right. That's right. I mean, if she. If they had been in Michigan State Stadium, she would have been shouting out U of M. It would have been. It would have been, I mean, horrible. She came for violence is what she did. But you know what? When you're that famous, you can get away with it. And there are people, you know, I'm sure it's frustrating for her, right? Because you see, oh, Jelly Roll is going to be on wwe. Unreal. And look. And Logan Paul, oh, look at the amount of work that Logan Paul is doing, even though he's famous. And Nikki Bell is like, hello, look how famous I am. And look at the ability that I still have. Look at how I can go. Look at the shape that I'm in. Look at how I wear famous people clothing. You know what I'm saying?

[Megan]

It is kind of crazy. You know, we make a huge deal. Jelly Roll at SummerSlam because he's famous. Nobody made a big deal. Nikki Bella, Nickella.

[Sam Roberts]

That's right.

[Megan]

Famous too.

[Sam Roberts]

She was being taken for granted.

[Megan]

San Diego, you should be so lucky that Nikki Bella had a world championship match at Survivor Series.

[Sam Roberts]

And now we get to a point where it's like we saw Nikki interrupt the match last week between Raquel and Stephanie Vacair and they go to Stephanie Vacair and they say, what's next? Where are we going with this? And she, Stephanie Vicar is the type of champion that doesn't want to leave any doubt whatsoever, right? If a match gets interrupted and there's no clear finish, she doesn't want people to think, oh, maybe she couldn't have beaten her. And if Nikki Bella still wants some, then Nikki Bella can get some.

[Megan]

And this really been like the whole story of Stephanie Valkyrie's title reign. Remember, she was supposed to get her chance in Paris, but then what happened with relinquishing the title for Naomi? Stephanie Vacair had to wait even longer. And she said, that's okay. Bring on whoever it is. That's right, bring them on. And that's really. As she heads into this triple threat match now, she says, okay, that's fine. I don't need Nikki or Raquel. I'll take them both.

[Sam Roberts]

That's right. She said it. Lucha tripley. That's what I was saying. Lucha tripley con Raquel and Nikki Bella. I love it. I love it. I. And I mean, listen, I don't think people should be sleeping on this. I think that there is a real reality, right? When you look at it, it's like Stephanie Vacair is an incredibly fighting champion. She's one of these champions that wants the matches to tell the story of the title reign, right? And that's a dangerous spot to be in because with every defense, theoretically, it's going to get more and more difficult to continue to defend the title on that level because you're your body's gonna start to get tired because people are gonna be able to see more and more of you, start to figure out where the weaknesses in your game are, start to figure everything out. You got Raquel Rodriguez, who's having a lot of trouble with the Judgment Day at the moment, on everybody being on.

[Megan]

The same page, especially after tonight.

[Sam Roberts]

Especially after tonight. And then you have Nikki Bella, who's sitting there and kind of found herself kind of figured out, you know what? This is who I am, and I. And I can own this. I don't. I don't need to sit here and justify why I'm here. I don't need to sit here and do anything. I could just exist as Nikki Bella, and everybody can be grateful that I'm even here. And if you have Nikki Bella, if that confidence is real in Nikki Bella, I think there is a greater chance than people realize that Nikki wins the Women's World Championship.

[Megan]

I mean, can you imagine one of the most truly biggest names and most famous people in WWE as a champion? It's not an outlandish idea. It's not wild at all. And based on what we've seen from Nikki Bella, it could easily be a reality.

[Sam Roberts]

I think it could. I absolutely think it could. But like we said, the Judgment Day, and part of that is part of the reason why I think it could be a reality is what happened with the Judgment Day tonight. Raquel coming in at the absolute worst time imaginable match after Bailey clonks her head on the exposed turnbuckle.

[Megan]

And Liv Morgan was being so strategic here. This is why having live Morgan on your side is always a good thing.

[Sam Roberts]

Did you hear that Michael Cole couldn't even do commentary when Liv Morgan was near him?

[Megan]

I don't blame it.

[Sam Roberts]

It was just. Just words were coming out of his face. He didn't know why he was.

[Megan]

Morgan walks by. Yeah. Yeah.

[Sam Roberts]

And it's only gotten. Gotten more so because, like, you talk about star power. We've talking. We've spoken a lot about star power on this show, and I think maybe that's because we're looking at how people have grown in 2025.

[Megan]

Yeah.

[Sam Roberts]

And how Nikki Bella is at a different level, how, you know, Bron Breaker is at a different level. Gunther is at a completely different level. But Liv Morgan is. Is eclipsed where she was, which is.

[Megan]

Wild because she spent a good time not on television in 2025.

[Sam Roberts]

That's right.

[Megan]

But she comes back, and she's already on a different level than she was.

[Sam Roberts]

When she left the Minute she's back, it's like, oh, my gosh, she's got.

[Megan]

The greatest commentator of all time. Stuttering.

[Sam Roberts]

That's right. Stammering. I don't even know what he was trying to say. I couldn't. I couldn't discern it. And he had to just say, look, I got tongue tied because Liv Morgan was here.

[Megan]

That's right.

[Sam Roberts]

It's amazing.

[Megan]

We all said, yeah, we get it, bro.

[Sam Roberts]

Right?

[Megan]

It's cool.

[Sam Roberts]

It's totally cool, dude.

[Megan]

But Liv Morgan, I mean, she set up this distraction perfectly. She's distracting the referee. She's motioning to Roxanne. The leadership in Liv Morgan really is remarkable. And we've said a bunch of times, like, how does the Judgment Day always seem to figure it out? Just when you think, oh, the Judgment Day is going to just completely implode, Liv Morgan comes to save the day, and that's what she's doing here. With this distraction, Roxanne exposes the turnbuckle. She hits Bailey off the turnbuckle. Roxanne has the match one. But no. Raquel distracts. The other distracts the referee.

[Sam Roberts]

Again, we didn't need a second distraction.

[Megan]

Raquel ruined it for the Judgment Day.

[Sam Roberts]

She did. Because then Lyra figured out that if you, like, smack Bailey in the face really hard, it turns her into a lunatic.

[Megan]

Lyra is the Bailey whisperer.

[Sam Roberts]

She is the Bailey whisperer. Like, I had no idea what was going on with this Bailey. Lyra figured it out, and she knows.

[Megan]

What to say to push her button to get the results or what to do. I mean, have you ever seen, like, a dog that's just completely wild, but then they have an owner or the tamer that they can. They. They listen to. They comply with you get that?

[Sam Roberts]

Caesar Milan.

[Megan]

Yeah. Lyra walks in, changes the entire complexion of Bailey.

[Sam Roberts]

Yeah, absolutely. Absolutely. She changed it and. And brought Bailey to a victory against. Against Roxanne Perez. And then we see the Judgment Day in the back, and Dominic Mysterio is there.

[Megan]

They were playing video games, having a.

[Sam Roberts]

Good time, having a great time, But Liv Morgan. Liv Morgan almost has a maternal, you know, energy to her when it comes to the Judgment Day. Before we get to when we talk about maternal people, Mommy. I want to let everybody know that they need to step in the ring. With the debut of Topps Universe, WWE making its hobby debut. A bold, cosmic, inspired take on WWE collecting. It features a massive 300 base set. Hall of Famers, current champions, rising prospects. Stunning galactic patterns and vibrant color parallels bring every Superstar to life. Every Box. Every box guarantees. Wait for this. Two autos and one relic. So that's big hits in every rip. I can't wait till I tell Triple H about this. We're gonna be ripping packs again in no time. Chase short printed inserts highlighting iconic storylines, rivalries, and unforgettable WWE moments. Whether you're hunting grails or building a rainbow Topps universe, WWE is your ringside seat to the hobby's next heavyweight Release. Head to tops.com to learn more. I can't wait to get my hands on this set. I'm very, very excited about it, especially now. It's just Tops has been doing such a good job with product all year long that getting Universe to cap things off is going to be very, very exciting. I saw by the way they. They posted like a super factor one of one card that was signed by both Triple H and Hollywood. Hulk Hogan from their post. What was that? WrestleMania 18 rivalry. Yeah, very, very cool. Very, very cool. But I had this. And I know this is not like a, A massive aha moment. We kind of have all known this for some time, but you know how sometimes something just like really hits you and you go, I know that we talk about this, but there it is. There was something about tonight, watching Rhea Ripley, watching her entrance, watching her match, where I'm sitting there going, like, Rhea Ripley, it has every potential to immediately, not eventually immediately be the single biggest star in the wwe. I, the, the, the, the. The. The Superstar quality that just effortlessly radiates off of Rhea Ripley is like, I don't know that I've ever, I've ever seen it that, that strong before.

[Megan]

In everything she does, it's completely undeniable.

[Sam Roberts]

Everything. When she, she, you know, when she does her entrance, looks at the camera, that's it.

[Megan]

After she stomps her leg or when.

[Sam Roberts]

She turns, when she turns the, the. The corner there to the right. And it's just kind of like lip syncing her own song. And usually I hate it when people lip sync their own songs, but Ria doing it, I'm like, this is like she, she. Like, you could have the band there and you had the band there at WrestleMania and it was still Rhea who was conquering, like, all of that attention. I just looked at Ria tonight and I said, yeah, like, if I had to put stock in people in 2026, if it was up to me to go, okay, who are we going to completely put WWE on the shoulders of going into 2026? Rhea Ripley's on the top man or woman Rhea Ripley is on the top of my list.

[Megan]

Yeah.

[Sam Roberts]

I mean, and it's. Right.

[Megan]

And also the fact that we start Monday Night Raw with a match between Rhea Ripley and Asuka.

[Sam Roberts]

Sick. Absolutely sick.

[Megan]

The fact that Asuka has never pinned Rhea before. You're going, really?

[Sam Roberts]

She's never beaten Rhea.

[Megan]

She hasn't. We've seen a lot of versions of Rhea.

[Sam Roberts]

Right.

[Megan]

This one is. I mean, yeah, potential biggest star in the company.

[Sam Roberts]

The last time there was a female who was absolutely the biggest star in.

[Megan]

The company, who was it?

[Sam Roberts]

It was the man.

[Megan]

Thank you.

[Sam Roberts]

It was Becky Lynch. And I looked at Ria, I was like, oh, that's there. That's there. That. Whatever that is, that indiscernible, intangible thing that's there with Rhea Ripley. And it really is awesome to see. But tonight was not her night.

[Megan]

No, it wasn't.

[Sam Roberts]

Asuka did get her first victory over Rhea Ripley.

[Megan]

And, you know, Kyrie Sane had a bit of a role.

[Sam Roberts]

Sure. Of course.

[Megan]

So did IO in this victory for Asuka as well. And I was thinking about, you know, the Kabuki warriors, and they're defending the tag titles against Iyo and Rhea in just two weeks on first Raw of the Year. But there was a time when we were really looking at the Kuigi warriors being like, wow, Asuka's sort of running a dictatorship. We saw the way that she treated Iyo, and then we saw her screaming backstage for Kyrie. How'd she do it?

[Sam Roberts]

What did she sound like?

[Megan]

Oh, how'd she do it?

[Sam Roberts]

It was like, kind of like Katie, right?

[Megan]

Yeah. Every week on Raw. Every week on Raw, we saw that. And there was a while where I sort of felt sympathy for Kyrie. Right. I said, oh, poor Kyrie has to work under these conditions. But as the weeks passed by, we saw this aggression out of Kyrie that wasn't, oh, I'm being forced to do this. It was like, no, I like winning. I like being a champion. I am going to keep this life and keep this title.

[Sam Roberts]

And.

[Megan]

And that's the energy I've seen from the Kabuki Warriors.

[Sam Roberts]

Yeah. And maybe Asuka was onto something.

[Megan]

Yeah.

[Sam Roberts]

Maybe if I just listen, maybe she knows what she's doing.

[Megan]

And I think that's why the Kabuki warriors are so dangerous, even when they're going up against a team of Ria and IO, who are two of the best wrestlers on the planet, period. But it's the leadership of Asuka.

[Sam Roberts]

Okay, so you were a noted hater for a period of time. Everybody knew about that.

[Megan]

Of. Of what?

[Sam Roberts]

Of the friendship.

[Megan]

Yeah.

[Sam Roberts]

Between Ria and IO but now you're Team Rio.

[Megan]

Well, I've never seen EO look happier.

[Sam Roberts]

Okay, so let me ask you this. What would you rather see in two weeks? Rhea Ripley and IO sky win the Tag Team Championship or Rhea Ripley and EOS guy not win? And some of that animosity starting to build.

[Megan]

Well, I would like to see Rhea Ripley one day pin EO sky. Because we talk about this level that Rhea Ripley could reach. Well, what if she's never pinned EO sky? Yeah.

[Sam Roberts]

How about the fact that 10 months ago, Iyo sky beat Rhea Ripley for the title on the way to WrestleMania.

[Megan]

And no one saw it coming.

[Sam Roberts]

Nobody saw it coming. And Rhea hasn't recovered since?

[Megan]

No.

[Sam Roberts]

She hasn't gotten back up to the top of the mountain since. And EO's been there. That's a wild thing, isn't it?

[Megan]

Yeah. And, you know, as good of friends they are, Rhea is very well aware of the fact that she's never pinned Iyo.

[Sam Roberts]

Oh, she knows.

[Megan]

And IO is well aware of the fact that she's always beaten Ria.

[Sam Roberts]

Yeah, they know. They know.

[Megan]

All right, time for gift exchange.

[Sam Roberts]

Oh, my God. Yeah.

[Megan]

Yeah. I got you this. Merry Christmas.

[Sam Roberts]

Oh, my gosh. Thank you.

[Megan]

Happy holidays, as we say.

[Sam Roberts]

I got you what you got. I know that you love this stuff. I got you SummerSlam 2002 on VHS. I know. It was a great show. 2002 was a great year. And I just bought this.

[Megan]

You know vhs?

[Sam Roberts]

Yeah.

[Megan]

Oh, this is the VHS store.

[Sam Roberts]

On your way in, I took the wrapping off for you.

[Megan]

Oh, thank you. Yeah, I just stopped, recycled that. You're a big save the planet guy.

[Sam Roberts]

Stopped at Blockbuster, grabbed that.

[Megan]

Do you have a VCR I could borrow to watch it?

[Sam Roberts]

You do not have a vcr?

[Megan]

No, we don't have one.

[Sam Roberts]

Okay, well, then, you know what? I have a gift card in the car. I'll give that to you. I just leave this here.

[Megan]

All right, I'll watch that. I'll watch that on YouTube. WWE Vault.

[Sam Roberts]

Yeah, I think you could get that on the vault. Yeah.

[Megan]

Yeah. You can't get this on the vault.

[Sam Roberts]

I'll get you a gift card to the vault.

[Megan]

Okay, great.

[Sam Roberts]

That would be great. Okay, let's see. Wow. Did you wrap this yourself?

[Megan]

I did.

[Sam Roberts]

It wasn't done professionally.

[Megan]

Wow.

[Sam Roberts]

It's a lot of tape. And let's see. Let's see it. Okay.

[Megan]

What? You don't seem excited. You should be so excited. This is a New York Times bestseller.

[Sam Roberts]

First of all, you taped the paper to the book by mistake.

[Megan]

Hold it up.

[Sam Roberts]

This is a copy of Becky Lynch's autobiography, Merry Christmas, the Man. Not your average girl.

[Megan]

Not your average, average girl.

[Sam Roberts]

Oh, not your average, average girl.

[Megan]

Yeah. Are you excited?

[Sam Roberts]

Yeah.

[Megan]

I just know you've never read Becky's book, so I wanted to make sure. I know one of your New Year's resolutions is to Read More In 2026, so I thought, what better way to kick off the year than with a New York Times best selling author, Becky Lynch.

[Sam Roberts]

Not much of a reader, you know.

[Megan]

But I saw you promoing some books on your show. Yeah, it's not this one that's weird.

[Sam Roberts]

There wasn't, you know, I just. Yeah, because I haven't heard her talk enough. I want to.

[Megan]

Bedtime's for.

[Sam Roberts]

I want to hear more for the children. It's a thick book. I want to hear more from Becky Lynch. You think I should read this to the kids?

[Megan]

Bedtime. Yeah. Nice.

[Sam Roberts]

The compelling and candid memoir from WWE superstar Rebecca Quinn, AKA the Man, AKA Becky lynch, delves into her earliest wrestling days, her scrappy beginnings, and her meteoric rise to fame. That's. That's good.

[Megan]

You could get a lot out of this.

[Sam Roberts]

That's good. Yeah. Hopefully I'll be inspired. It's Becky Lynch's book that I got. Yep. Well, this is. Boy, I mean, I'm gonna have to. I'm gonna have to tell my wife not to get it for me now because you already got it for me.

[Megan]

I can't wait for my gift card. It's a good year.

[Sam Roberts]

Yep. For the vault.

[Megan]

It's a good year.

[Sam Roberts]

Yeah. No, this is, this is good. And you know, I hate it when people buy gifts that are really just like what they like and then they give it to you because, like they're so self centered. No, they go like, well, I like it. So this is what somebody else would like.

[Megan]

You love wrestling.

[Sam Roberts]

I mean, I do love wrestling, so. And Becky lynch is at wrestler, so.

[Megan]

Yeah, I think it makes sense.

[Sam Roberts]

I mean, I loved, you know, Bret Hart's book, so. Probably love Becky Lynch's book too. That's.

[Megan]

Keep it for your personal collection.

[Sam Roberts]

Oh, good, good, good. For my shelf.

[Megan]

After you read it.

[Sam Roberts]

My library. Yes, After I read it, I'll put it in the library. After I read it, I'll read. I'll read it cover to cover. Well, Megan, I appreciate the thought. I appreciate the thought that you've. That you've really put into this. Oh, look at that. Little blurbs. Stone cold. John Cena, all the greats, Maria Menouno, Stephanie McMahon.

[Megan]

I didn't see a little blurb from you on there.

[Sam Roberts]

I wasn't asked. I wasn't asked to. To give a blurb. I probably wouldn't have done it anyway.

[Megan]

That's terrible.

[Sam Roberts]

But I wasn't asked.

[Megan]

It would be an honor to be asked.

[Sam Roberts]

I don't know. How would you know?

[Megan]

I don't.

[Sam Roberts]

Oh, okay.

[Megan]

Maybe the next book.

[Sam Roberts]

Maybe. Maybe. Except the next book will be all capital letters, just shouting. Shouting. And you'll read it in the middle of the night, harassing you so much. This has been great. Happy holidays, Megan. Happy holidays, folks. Happy holidays. We'll be back. We got one more episode of raw recap in 2025 and we'll be. Don't. You don't have to.

[Megan]

Yeah. Do the slow zoom in on little Sam and Becky Lynch's book.

[Sam Roberts]

I don't know why the book has to be bigger than little Sam. We'll see you guys next week.

[Grainger Commercial Announcer 2]

If you're an H VAC technician and a call comes in, Grainger knows that you need a partner that helps you find the right product fast and hassle free. And you know that when the first problem of the day is a clanking blower motor, there's no need to break a sweat. With Grainger's easy, easy to use website and product details, you're confident you'll soon have everything humming right along. Call 1-800-GRAINGER click granger.com or just stop by Grainger for the ones who get it done.