Can Paul Heyman make it through WrestleMania? | Raw Recap

Summary

Raw Recap with Sam Roberts & Megan Morant

Episode: Can Paul Heyman make it through WrestleMania?

Date: April 8, 2025

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Episode Overview

This week’s Raw Recap dives deep into the final stretch before WrestleMania, breaking down the chaotic fallout of Monday Night Raw on Netflix. Hosts Sam Roberts and Megan Morant dissect Seth Rollins’ mind games with Paul Heyman, speculate about Heyman's future amidst divided loyalties, analyze the brewing intensity in Jey Uso vs. Gunther, and celebrate the official women’s world championship triple threat. They’re also joined for backstage interviews with World Heavyweight Champion Gunther and WWE Superstar Big E, each bringing their unique perspective and energy.

Major Themes:

• The perilous situation and loyalties of Paul Heyman in the WrestleMania main event picture.
• Jey Uso’s evolution, Gunther’s dominance, and tension heading into their title match.
• The announcement of a blockbuster Women’s World Championship triple threat.
• Faction turmoil, merch talk, and the intricate storytelling driving the road to WrestleMania.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Seth Rollins, Paul Heyman, & the Question of Favors

Timestamps: 00:31 - 16:35

• Sam and Megan recap Raw’s dramatic closing: Seth Rollins threatening Paul Heyman with a stomp, forcing Heyman to confront his alliances.
• Rollins’ logic: If CM Punk got a favor from Heyman, why not Seth—and is intimidation a legitimate way to claim it?
  • Sam: “Maybe Seth Rollins has decided not to play by these conventional adult terms. Maybe Seth Rollins is like, ‘either you give me a favor or you won't be around to offer your services to CM Punk or Roman Reigns.’” [02:48]
• Dissecting Heyman’s “Swiss cheese logic”—claiming loyalty to both Reigns and Punk, despite their opposition in the WrestleMania triple threat.
  • Sam: “When he says, ‘I could be loyal to CM Punk and Roman Reigns without being disloyal to either one of them,’ I’m like, what are you smoking, dude?” [04:49]
• Megan questions if Heyman's so-called "guys" (Reigns, Punk) are actually loyal to him—a negative verdict from both.
  • Megan: “No, not even close… Actions speak louder than words.” [07:14]
  • Sam: “Nobody came to save Paul Heyman.” [08:59]
• They note CM Punk’s slowness to rescue Heyman from danger, which raises further questions about true friendship and loyalty.
  • Sam: “CM Punk, like, he wasn’t going to put up with a face smush, but he didn’t come out… Where is this guy?” [09:51]
• Both acknowledge how Rollins is now manipulating Heyman, effectively turning the tables and controlling the narrative.
  • Sam: “Geppetto has strings attached to him. The puppet master is getting moved like a marionette by Seth Rollins.” [11:48]
• The hosts predict, despite his tears and peril, Heyman will “survive” WrestleMania—he’s always found a way before.

Notable Quotes:

• “Paul Heyman forever has been the master of manipulation. He’s the wordsmith of all wordsmith. That’s why it’s so fun to watch this guy speak.”
  — Sam [03:24]
• “It is literally like, try as I might… I love Paul Heyman. But I don’t think even on a personal level, I could even find it in myself to feel bad for Paul Heyman.”
  — Sam [14:19]
• “Paul Heyman will be standing strong at WrestleMania. Why? Because he’s a survivor.”
  — Sam [15:24]

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2. Jey Uso vs. Gunther: Stakes Raised & Emotional Turns

Timestamps: 17:15 - 20:02 | 35:26 - 42:57

• The buildup between Jey Uso and Gunther intensified with one week to go before WrestleMania.
• Last week’s segment “defined” the match, elevating it from mere storyline to a personal, must-see rivalry.
  • Sam: “We were reminded last week why we want to see Jey and Gunther... this is the match to see.” [17:23]
• Gunther’s assault on Jimmy Uso, forcing Jey to watch his twin brother injured, is cited as the emotional turning point for Jey’s character.
• The hosts highlight Jey’s change of demeanor—dropping crowd-pleasing “yeets” for more raw, personal emotion.
  • Sam: “When Jey’s getting emotional, don’t yeet him then. And also, when it’s no holds barred, don’t chant, ‘We want tables.’” [18:59]
• Jey’s promo went personal, from referencing familial pain to delivering powerful lines:
  • Sam: “He said… He’s gonna ask God to forgive me for the man I’m about to become. Before WrestleMania. I got chills when he said that.” [35:27]
• Big E later emphasizes this needed darker edge for Jey:
  • Big E: “If you gotta see your twin brother up close gushing blood… If you don't give us that guttural… then kind of mid card can be where it tops out for you.” [37:31 & 39:02]
  • “Only seeing the most focused version of Jey Uso do I think he could be world champion.” [41:05]
• Discussion about Gunther’s unique reaction to Jey’s intensity—his first time showing real worry.

Notable Quotes:

• “If he's focused, I’m telling you, that man will walk out of Vegas… Only seeing the most focused version of Jey Uso do I think he could be world champion.”
  — Big E [41:05]
• “In the last two weeks, last week we got it from Gunther, this week we got it from Jey. We have arrived at this point, whereas a fan, I can say, yeah, I want to see those two fight.”
  — Sam [38:55]

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3. Backstage Interview: Gunther (World Heavyweight Champion)

Timestamps: 21:13 - 27:33

• Gunther, refusing to discuss Jey Uso, insists the conversation focus on his championship reign.
  • Gunther: “If you have any further questions that are about myself, then I’m happy to have an interview… otherwise…” [21:18]
• He highlights his European tour, record-breaking crowds, and his “duty” as champion, showing confidence bordering on arrogance.
• Asked about his interactions with The Undertaker and former WrestleMania opponents, Gunther remains stoic, uninterested in nostalgia:
  • Gunther: “I've been teaching and coaching… I know my experience in that, and I know what I'm looking for in people, and I think in that regard, I have more experience than Taker has himself.” [24:55]
  • “If I live in the past… I’m never going to progress forward… There’s a lot of weight on my shoulders right now, and that’s where my focus is.” [25:57]
• Gunther ends the interview abruptly, reinforcing his robotic, business-first mindset.

Notable Quotes:

• “There’s a duty to fulfill and I’m gonna do that.”
  — Gunther [23:35]
• “You are two pundits sitting in a studio. I’m the one out here week by week.”
  — Gunther [25:57]

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4. Backstage Interview: Big E

Timestamps: 29:55 - 49:11

• Big E joins to comment on recent Raw quips about him, the erasure of his role in the New Day, and ongoing Twitter discourse.
  • Big E: “People will say what they want… Their opinion is not my business.” [30:30]
  • “Look, I know it is… their duty to try to erase me from their history. People know I was there. There is no New Day without me.” [32:19]
• He preaches Zen and self-validation, emphasizing: “When you have the validation from within, all the rest is just chatter.” [33:44]
• Turning to Goldberg rumors: Big E expresses interest in a Goldberg vs. Gunther match and reflects on career dream matches.
• On Jey Uso, Big E underscores the necessity of serious, focused intensity for a main event player and the importance of emotional, personal stakes.

Memorable Quotes:

• “I want the discourse to be had without me. Honestly, I have no desire to weigh in on that. I didn’t sign up for this.”
  — Big E [31:36]
• “He needs to bring his very best against Gunther, and we need to see more of that Jey next week and going into WrestleMania.”
  — Big E [37:31]

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5. Intercontinental Title Fatal Four-Way: Faction Drama & Predictions

Timestamps: 43:03 - 48:46

• Sam, Megan, and Big E analyze the increasingly messy dynamics within Judgment Day as both Finn Balor and Dominik Mysterio enter the IC Title match, along with Braun and Penta.
• Big E sees an inevitable implosion within Judgment Day, calling it his “surest bet for WrestleMania.”
  • Big E: “If I could put money down… I’d put money on a Judgment Day implosion.” [48:13]
• Sam playfully hypes Dominik as a “low key legend,” praising his improvement and fan engagement.

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6. Women’s World Championship: The Triple Threat is Official

Timestamps: 52:01 - 60:18

• Rhea Ripley, Bianca Belair, and Iyo Sky’s match is finally set, with high praise for each performer.
  • Megan passionately defends Iyo’s credibility amid ongoing storyline disrespect.
    • Megan: “Iyo’s over right now… She deserves it because everybody’s disrespecting her. And she is the champion, bro.” [55:21]
  • Sam notes the odd “entitlement” between Bianca and Rhea, and how Iyo’s crucial victories have been overlooked.
• Discussion turns to crowd reactions, with both predicting Iyo might enter WrestleMania as the audience favorite despite Rhea’s “larger than life” presence.
• Megan’s fan allegiance has shifted from Rhea (last year) to Iyo, reflecting the growing groundswell behind Iyo’s underdog narrative.

Notable Quotes:

• “There is this groundswell under Iyo Sky and this acknowledgement that she’s so damn good.”
  — Sam [58:03]
• “If you don't give us that guttural, that deep within you… then kind of mid card can be where it tops out for you.”
  — Big E [39:02]

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7. Other Noteworthy Segments & Next Week’s Hype

Timestamps: 60:18 - 62:34

• Surprise announcement: Grande Americano vs. Rey Mysterio set for WrestleMania.
• The return of Roman Reigns to Monday Night Raw next week is highly anticipated.
• Final hype: Karrion Kross vs. AJ Styles, faction storylines, and the sense of WrestleMania anticipation are all front and center.

Memorable Moment:

• Sam nerds out over the return of the “Blood from a Stone” Austin T-shirt, reflecting on Attitude Era merchandise legacy. [50:32]

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Highlighted Quotes & Timestamps

• “Maybe Seth Rollins has decided not to play by these conventional adult terms. Maybe Seth Rollins is like, ‘either you give me a favor or you won't be around to offer your services…’” — Sam [02:48]
• “When he says, ‘I could be loyal to CM Punk and Roman Reigns without being disloyal to either…’ I’m like, what are you smoking, dude?” — Sam [04:49]
• “If you have any further questions that are about myself, then I’m happy to have an interview.” — Gunther [21:18]
• “He’s a survivor. And he will find a way.” — Sam [15:24]
• “People know I was there. There is no New Day without me.” — Big E [32:19]
• “In the last two weeks… we have arrived at this point, whereas a fan, I can say, yeah, I want to see those two fight.” — Sam [38:55]
• “Iyo’s over right now… She deserves it because everybody’s disrespecting her. And she is the champion, bro.” — Megan [55:21]

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• Seth Rollins vs. Paul Heyman Drama: 00:31 – 16:35
• Uso vs. Gunther Rivalry & Emotional Shift: 17:15 – 20:02, 35:26 – 42:57
• Gunther Interview: 21:13 – 27:33
• Big E Interview & Jey Uso Discussion: 29:55 – 49:11
• IC Title Four-Way & Judgment Day Drama: 43:03 – 48:46
• Women’s World Title Triple Threat: 52:01 – 60:18
• Previewing Next Week, Announcements: 60:18 – 62:34

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Overall Tone & Style

The conversation was fast-paced, passionate, and full of insider knowledge—mixing kayfabe analysis with tongue-in-cheek banter and genuine investment in the storytelling. Sam brings dry wit and fanboy nostalgia; Megan defends favorites ardently, especially Iyo Sky. Both are unafraid to call out narrative logic, poke fun at management decisions, and speculate wildly as WrestleMania looms.

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For New/Returning Listeners

If you missed Raw or want a deeper understanding of the current WWE landscape as WrestleMania approaches, this episode is a must-listen for its blend of sharp analysis, exclusive backstage insight, and unpredictable guest interviews. From the shifting alliances leading to WrestleMania's main event to the elevation of underdog champions and faction implosions, Sam and Megan break it all down with humor and heart.

Transcript

[A]

David. Yes.

[B]

Have you ever noticed that the way.

[A]

We use our phones is ironic?

[B]

Phones are for connection, but we look at them more than we look at each other. That's ironic. Griffin, it's like rain on your wedding day. Listen. That's ironic. So U.S. cellular created U.S. mode to help us reconnect, you and I. That's right. A phone company wanting people to use.

[A]

Their phones, less ironic.

[B]

A phone company wanting people to use.

[A]

Their phones, less ironic.

[B]

But let's find US again with US mode from US Cellular. Visit uscellular.com built for us to get started. What are the other things that are ironic? Seth Rollins apparently wants a favor from Paul Heyman in exchange for not caving his head in. The world Heavy champion Gunther is on the show today. After a ridiculously intense confrontation with Jey uso. Big E is back on the show today. The women's world championship match at WrestleMania is official and we are just getting started. Welcome to the Raw recap, brought to you by fanatics. Oh, baby. Welcome to the Raw recap. Megan Morant, you are here and explain to me if this is how favors work. So this is how Raw ended. I mean, both of us, and I believe there may be or may not be footage of this. Both of us thought that Seth Rollins foot was going to come in contact with the back of Paul Heyman's head.

[C]

I certainly did. It was lined up perfectly for Seth to stomp both Paul Heyman and. And CM Punk. He threatened kind of Paul Heyman with it a few minutes earlier.

[B]

Well, he offered him a voluntary stomp. Threatened, offered, offered a voluntary stomp. That. I mean, where do you even start with this thing?

[C]

Do you think right off the bat here, do you think Seth deserves a favor?

[B]

Listen, when I was going to school, there were people that would come up to me. I was an undersized child, believe it or not. I was undersized.

[C]

That surprises me.

[B]

And standard and above sized people would come to me and request favors. Those favors were always granted. Because the only thing worse than granting the favor would be what happened to me physically if the favor wasn't granted. I mean, I've never seen anything like this.

[C]

So in your mind, this is how favors work?

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

All right.

[B]

You find somebody weaker than you and you threaten bodily harm or a favor. Like, I don't know, traditionally amongst adults, that's not how favors work. That's not how CM Punk got his favor. That's. But maybe Seth Rollins has decided not to play by these conventional adult terms. Maybe Seth Rollins is like, listen, either you give me a favor or you won't be around to. To offer your services to CM Punk or Roman Reigns. Not the direction that I thought things were going to go.

[C]

I mean, look, Paul Heyman watched his life flash in front of his eyes tonight on Monday Night Raw.

[B]

I feel like a couple times. Yeah, a couple times. So, okay, so listen, Paul Heyman forever has been the master of manipulation. He's the wordsmith of all wordsmith. That's why it's so fun to watch this guy speak.

[C]

He's a survivor.

[B]

He's a. He is a survivor. 100%. You look at the errors that that guy has gone through, the people that he's represented in those eras, and I mean, let's be honest. Of all the biggest, quote unquote, Paul Heyman, guys, save for Roman Reigns, most of them don't wrestle anymore. Paul Heyman is the one who, as you put it, survived.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

And is still and is a bigger part of WWE than I would say he ever has been.

[C]

Well, he's playing an integral part in this WrestleMania match that is main event, the soul of WWE.

[B]

So listen, he comes out, right? And, man, Paul Heyman has this way of when he speaks, you go, he has talked me in. He sold me on something I never needed or wanted. This guy will logic his way out of anything. And all of a sudden, he's justifying his position of being the best friend of CM Punk, but the wise man to Roman Reigns. And I'm like, this logic has some holes. This is Swiss cheese logic. When he says, I could be loyal to CM Punk and Roman Reigns without being disloyal to either one of them. I'm like, what are you smoking, dude? What? What are you talking about?

[C]

How can you do that right now?

[B]

They're fighting each other at WrestleMania. They're in a PO. They're on opposing sides. Roman Reigns took out CM Punk after that steel cage match at Madison Square Garden in front of Paul Heyman's face. There is no world in which Roman Reigns and CM Punk cooperate. It's a triple threat main event for WrestleMania. And it's Roman Reigns. You know, Michael Cole put out that stat is is this will be Roman Reigns 11th WrestleMania main event. Unprecedented. But 37, 38, 39, 40. The last four in a row, Roman Reigns main evented as World Heavyweight Champion. Now he's not. He's main eventing, but he's not walking in as the WWE Champion. Like, that's got to put him in this position where he absolutely has to win this match. So the idea that there's going to.

[C]

Be, you know, what happens when Roman doesn't win? He goes away.

[B]

Okay? So. And I don't want him to go away. Sometimes when he wins, he goes away, too. But. But look, when you live on the island of relevancy, you make your own schedule, and he is the tribal chief. He's. He's. He's earned that right. But what's interesting to me is that it's almost like Paul Heyman has found himself in this position where two people that he's mentored have become the top of the industry. Except the thing about pro wrestling is nobody likes to share that spotlight. You can't have two people at the top of the industry. Once you get there, between those two people, one of them is going to be on top. And for Paul. So when Paul Heyman says, like, no, I'm loyal to both of them, Seth is right to come out and go, like, what are you talking about? But here's the thing, okay? I want to. I want your opinion on this. Seth says, and just go by the logic of these characters that we have been following, that I have been following for years. That you have been following for years at this point, go by simple logic. Are these people as loyal to Paul Heyman as Paul Heyman apparently is to them?

[C]

No.

[B]

You don't think so?

[C]

No, not even close. I think Seth Rollins came out. Obviously, he had to come out, because Paul is saying, I can be loyal to Roman. I can be loyal to Punk. And Seth is sitting there thinking, what is this guy saying? No, he can't.

[B]

Right?

[C]

And he went out there and spit straight facts to Paul Heyman.

[B]

So you think Roman doesn't care about Paul Heyman? That's what Seth said.

[C]

And you said, facts, actions speak louder than words. And based on all of the actions that Seth Rollins presented tonight, I think. I think he has a case.

[B]

Oh, my God. You're talking about the guy who brought Paul Heyman into the island of relevancy.

[C]

But you saw on Friday night, Smackdown, he's like, he loves me. He. He's obsessed with me. He won't go even if I tell him he can. He was, like, laughing about it.

[B]

Well, he said, loved.

[C]

Loved. I mean, he gave off the vibe of that. Roman said, even if I tell him he can go, he's not going to do it because he loves me.

[B]

He should love Roman. And he said, I can't do that. I know, but this isn't Smackdown recap. It's Raw recap. So we don't need to talk about old stuff.

[C]

Sure.

[B]

I know. I get it. I get it. Roman Reigns has a cold exterior, yes, but he's been loyal to Paul Heyman.

[C]

I mean, not. Don't you forget about when I heard Seth.

[B]

I heard Seth talking about the new bloodline.

[C]

The new bloodline. And don't you forget when Paul Heyman went to call Roman Reigns, what happened on the other end of the phone.

[B]

What about when Roman Reigns called Paul Heyman?

[C]

That's true.

[B]

See? See? Things happen. Relationships are complicated. You know this as well as I do.

[C]

But I think Seth had a lot of great points. Like nobody came to save Paul Heyman.

[B]

You know why? You think Seth had a lot of. First of all, I think that Paul Heyman was on a mission with the new bloodline, and he made that clear to the new bloodline. He was there to be at the service of Roman Reigns. And eventually Roman Reigns came back and history is history. I found it fascinating that CM Punk took his sweet time getting to the ring to save Paul Heyman, his best friend. You have a best friend?

[C]

Yeah, sure.

[B]

Of course you don't. I don't believe you. But if you did have a best friend. Yeah, yeah, yeah, I have a best friend. You're not gonna ask him their or anything, right?

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

If you did have a best friend, would you let them get bullied like that? Okay, so what I'm saying is CM Punk, like, he wasn't going to put up with a face smush, but he didn't come out. I mean, shove, slap in the face, no CM Punk, where is this guy?

[C]

No, he was waiting till the absolute last minute.

[B]

So. But I also think you have to be very careful because Seth Rollins. So what I was looking for and what I, on the surface we still have not gotten is I was looking for justification from Seth Rollins. Seth Rollins said, listen, I. The only thing I wanted was for CM Punk not to get the main event of WrestleMania. And Seth Rollins is one of the people responsible for CM Punk getting the main event of WrestleMania. By the way, when Paul Heyman. Look at Paul Heyman talking tough to Seth Rollins. It's like, God bless him. God bless Paul Heyman. I know you're from New York and I know that's what we do, but I mean, he was writing a ticket, he was writing checks that he was not going to be able to cash.

[C]

You're right about that.

[B]

Now. Now Seth was out there being an absolute master manipulator. He. He has not explained how he's come to terms with this Idea. He was distraught when the contract was signed. He was distraught about the fact that this was going to main event WrestleMania. He didn't even care about main eventing WrestleMania. He just didn't want CM Punk to main event. He seems to have come to terms with it. And the only thing that he has said is that you need to figure out how to control the situation that you're in. And when he said that, I said, what is that? What are you talking about? Like, what does that mean? Like, how are you okay now all of a sudden with main eventing? And then I watched this guy, all of a sudden, Geppetto has strings attached to him. The puppet master is getting moved like a marionette by Seth Rollins. Seth Rollins shows up like he's Matlock. Matlock was a lawyer, right?

[C]

I believe so.

[B]

I don't know, I've never seen the show. But he shows up like he's a lawyer breaking down this case that Paul Heyman cannot argue. And all of a sudden he's manipulated Paul Heyman. Paul Heyman has gone from smiling to literally crying. And I'm going, wait a minute. Seth is not out here to take Paul Heyman out of this. Or do you. Seth's controlling the situation.

[C]

Yes. He's playing the hand he was dealt.

[B]

And now he's turning everything upside down. Like. Like.

[C]

But that's the only thing Seth. That's what Seth should be doing at this point. That's all he can event.

[B]

That's all he can do.

[C]

He cannot get CM Punk out of the main event.

[B]

No.

[C]

So now all he can focus on is how.

[B]

How to play these cards in a 365 day period. I really thought I was going to see Paul Heyman get powerbombed through a table and then get stomped in the.

[C]

Middle of the ring when he offered to stop. He won't do it. He won't do it. And then as we see Paul Heyman.

[B]

Like midair, I was like, he's doing it.

[C]

Yes.

[B]

And then it was right next to. I mean, this guy has pinpoint accuracy, this Seth Rollins when it comes to where that stomp lands. But CM Punk wasn't able to save him. I mean, that's the message, right? Nobody was able to say, I mean, look at this photo. We're looking at a photo right now, and we can see Seth in midair. And I am telling you right now, looking at the still frame of Seth Rollins in midair. I'm not a physicist. I'm not Neil DeGrasse Tyson. I can't Put all the formulas together, but the angles to me look like the foot is coming down on the bald head of Paul Heyman. And I say that with great respect because I think bald is beautiful.

[C]

Well, you know, Seth brought up another point that I sort of overlooked as we're on this road to WrestleMania, which is why I forgot that Seth was the first choice to be on Roman Reigns War Games team. And that's how we're in this predicament because. Because CM Punk agreed was the only option, as Seth pointed out tonight, to be on Roman's team. And by doing so, he earned himself a favor.

[B]

And then Seth is like, oh, you're giving out favors? Well, if you don't give me one too, I'm going to beat you up.

[C]

That's a pretty powerful, threatening.

[B]

You know, what's the difference? Tomato, tomato, what's the difference? I mean, at a point, call in Sick to WrestleMania. If you're Paul Heyman.

[C]

Do you feel bad for Paul Heyman?

[B]

No.

[C]

No. Okay.

[B]

It's impossible to. It is literally like, try as I might. And I love Paul Heyman.

[C]

Yeah, I know.

[B]

I've known Paul Heyman forever. I love Paul Heyman. But I don't think even on a personal level, I could even find it in myself to feel bad for Paul Heyman.

[C]

And if he did get stomped tonight, would you feel bad for Paul Heyman?

[B]

I think so.

[C]

No. I don't think he went through the table at Madison Square Garden with his children watching. Do you feel bad for Paul Heyman?

[B]

I mean, I wasn't happy that it had happened.

[C]

Okay.

[B]

But I. I wasn't like the poor guy. Oh, the poor fella. You know, sometimes you create these high risk situations where if they pay off, you're at the top of the industry. But every now and then, Jacob Fatu puts you through a table. Every now and then, Seth Rollins threatens to stomp you on Monday Night Raw. And that's kind of where Paul Heyman has found himself.

[C]

Now, look, he lives in that area.

[B]

But what did you call Paul Heyman? What's his strength? He is a survivor. I'm gonna make a bold prediction. Right now, he's crying on Monday Night Raw. There's one raw left before WrestleMania. Two weeks from now, WrestleMania will be over. So I'm making a prediction. Regardless of what we have seen in 12, 13 days, whatever WrestleMania, Paul Heyman will be standing strong at WrestleMania. Why? Because he's a survivor. Because you're 100% right. He's a survivor. And he will find a way. As Much as Seth Rollins will find a way, Paul Heyman will find a way to survive.

[C]

I'm just curious to see what he looks like upon arriving on Monday Night Raw or Friday Night Smackdown or whenever we see Paul Heyman next. Because when Paul Heyman is dealing with stress, we always can tell. Yeah, he's not shaved.

[B]

He doesn't wear it well.

[C]

It gets gray.

[B]

He doesn't wear stress well.

[C]

He has bags under the eyes.

[B]

I mean, I gotta believe he'll. I. He better be on Raw next week, because the OTC will be here. The tribal chief returns to Monday Night Raw next week.

[C]

Where was he to protect Paul Heyman tonight?

[B]

We wasn't here tonight. He's there next week. Next week.

[C]

CM Punk wasn't supposed to be there, but he showed up, you know.

[B]

Well, CM Punk lives in Chicago, not the island of relevancy. It's a little tougher to get there from the island of relevant.

[C]

He's defending your guy.

[B]

Roman, did you like your food tonight?

[C]

I did.

[B]

All right. Well, who do you think?

[C]

Tribal chief.

[B]

Thank you. Thank you. Speaking of the tribal chief, we go into his family. I want to talk because we're gonna have Gunther on the show in a couple minutes. So before we get Gunther on. Last week, I think, was the segment that we needed for this Jay USO Gunther.

[C]

That's a fair statement. Yeah.

[B]

Feud going into WrestleMania, like, it started to define like, oh, yeah, I don't just want to see Jay do well at WrestleMania.

[C]

Yeah. Before that, we were just talking about Jay's confidence, you know, and that was kind of. We sort of overlooked the fact that Gunter is the world Heavyweight champion.

[B]

This was the conversation. The people who. Like, who. The. The people on the pro side were like, I want to see Jay do good at WrestleMania. The people on the negative side were like, jay's gonna suck at WrestleMania. But that was. There's two people in the match.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

And so we got reminded last week. I felt why we actually want to see Jay and Gunther as the match. Not just jay going to WrestleMania, not just Gunther defending the title at WrestleMania, but Jay versus Gunther as the match. I mean, the whole thing was set up from the beginning with Gunther being like, you're not. You shouldn't be the opponent.

[C]

No.

[B]

And now here we are, and it's like, no, this is the match to see. As far as these two go, I think we went a step further this week. We live in a time where actions have consequences. Gunther, like, bloodied this Jimmy uso head to toe last week on Raw and.

[C]

Made his twin brother watch the entire thing while zip tied.

[B]

Zip tied. And apparently, as he said on Raw, scared.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

Zip tied and scared on the ropes. But Jay coming out. No entrance. I mean, through the crowd, but no yeeting. I should say.

[C]

No. I mean, it was. It was apparent that something had changed within Jay from the moment we saw him to Minneapolis.

[B]

When Jay goes like this, stop. You don't have to yeet. Every time he talks, he's talking about.

[C]

His brother getting beat up, addicted to yeeting.

[B]

You gotta stop. Yeah, you gotta stop. Two things you gotta do when Jay's getting emotional. Don't yeet him then. And also, when it's no holds barred, don't chant, we want tables. That's too. That's a separate issue entirely. I understand, but those are the. Like, this week, specifically, there are rules.

[C]

To yeeting, and we learned about them tonight.

[B]

And Jay's the guy. He's the conductor. Like, chill. Chill for second. You gotta have a little chill.

[C]

Yeah. He was talking about how his brother had 15 stitches and the crowd goes, yeet. It's like, no, no.

[B]

That's a no Chill. I felt like once he got into his mom, I mean, I didn't know where he was going when he was like, gunther, you got a mom? I was like, what?

[C]

What's she doing tonight?

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

I'm like, are you talking about Gunther's mom? I never thought I'd see anybody get away with talking about Gunther's mom. He's talking about. He's talking about his wife, grandson. Like, I was like, okay, we're getting personal. But then I was like, well, look at what Gunther did. Gunther went after the family to cj go after Gunther as hard as he went after him.

[C]

Mama Rose.

[B]

Mama Rhodes. But that's when it gets personal.

[C]

It is. Yeah.

[B]

Everybody loves their mama, especially Mr. T. Yes. You watch that hall of Fame induction. Love this, Mom. But. But, yeah, I really. I thought again, last week we needed it for the match. This week, we needed that for Jay uso. But. But we have words coming in. The World Heavyweight Champion is joining us on RAW Recap. So let's get to our first guest. We welcome to Raw Recap from backstage at Monday Night Raw, the World Heavyweight Champion, Gunther, who will go to WrestleMania, who will defend that world heavyweight title against Jay Uso and Gunther. Like, I've got to start. First of all, thank you so much for your time and for joining us on RAW Recap. But the look that I just saw on your face as Jay Uso explained what his plan was for you at WrestleMania. I've watched everything you've done. You know that. I've never seen that look on your face before. What is going through your mind right now? Not when you got to the building. Right now. When it comes to Jey uso, she.

[D]

Just mentioned it's an interview with me, Gunther. So I'm not interested in speaking about Jey uso. So if you have any further questions that are about myself, then I'm happy to have a little interview here. But otherwise.

[B]

So you don't want to Talk about the WrestleMania match at all?

[D]

I don't want to talk about J. Usa.

[B]

Okay. I mean, I had a great rain.

[D]

We just came back from Europe, we had record breaking houses there. I was on every live event. I was on almost every TV over there. I think there's enough to talk about in that regard. So let's talk about the fantastic rain I'm having and I'm still going to have after WrestleMania.

[B]

Okay, okay. I mean. Okay, okay. When you talk, you have you. All right, so you've had some incredible WrestleMania matches in the past, right? You had an incredible match last year with Sami Zayn. You had an. I mean, a match that I think was a breakout match for you two years ago in the Triple Threat with Drew and Sheamus to walk in. This year, let's say you talk about your reign as World Heavyweight Champion. To walk in as WWE World Heavyweight Champion to WrestleMania, as somebody who has wanted to do this all their life, as somebody who has given their entire life to professional wrestling, to walk into the biggest show with the biggest prize. How do you wrap your head around that?

[D]

I never had an issue with fitting in those situations. I always. I always knew what I'm capable of. I always knew where I belong. So it was never a question for me that I would end up in those positions. And even though this year it's not the scenario I wanted to be in, I have an opponent that's overreaching by a mile, that is not on my level. And that's what I'm carrying around with me right now. And going into that, if you ask me, am I excited, I don't know. Don't think there's much excitement to that. I think there's mostly. I'm a professional. I'm a professional wrestler. I'm the World Heavyweight Champion. There's a duty to fulfill and I'm gonna do that.

[C]

Do you ever get excited? You know, you seem like someone who's so business as usual. Is there, Is there a match or an opponent or a premium live event like WrestleMania that gets you excited.

[D]

I think my personal feelings. Too intimate of a question to answer. I think I'm here to fulfill my duties as well, Champion. That's what I'm doing right now.

[B]

All right, what did you think? I mean, let's go. I saw a pretty remarkable moment, I thought, with you very recently. One of the things that you do as World Heavyweight Champion is you're across WWE's programming, and I was watching you on LFG, and you had this moment with the Undertaker where you kind of stepped up to him and you kind of challenged him on his abilities as a coach. To be in that moment with. As sure of yourself as you obviously are, to be in that moment with the Undertaker and to realize, like, no, I'm going to. I'm going to challenge this legend of all legends. Is there an adrenaline rush that goes with that? Is there a. What is that feeling?

[D]

No, there's no adrenaline rush with that. I've been teaching and coaching people in professional wrestling since I don't know how long. Must be more than 10 years now. And I know my experience in that, and I know what I'm looking for in people, and I think in that regard, I have more experience than Taker has himself. I don't think he coached or trained a lot of people, and it was my job that day to point out things. I see, and that's what I did.

[B]

Wow. You know, I was talking about your. Your previous WrestleMania matches, and I think that that triple threat with Sheamus and Drew is one that comes up a lot when you talk about the career of Gunther. And that's one of those matches that I think if there were any doubters as to what you were capable of on a stage that big, they were all silenced. When you look back, I don't know if you do look back, quite frankly, but if you were to look back on that match, is that something that you're prideful of? Is that a match that you consider a highlight so far.

[D]

You know.

[B]

You.

[D]

Guys might not understand that you are two pundits sitting in a studio. I'm the one that is out here week by week, that carries his body out there to the entertainment of the audience. If I live in the past, if I think about the past, if I think about those big moments back then, I'm never going to progress forward. And we are a little bit more than a week away from WrestleMania. There's a lot of weight on my shoulders right now, and that's where my focus is. I don't want to reminisce about the past. I did what I did. I'm always going to stand for what I did. But that's it. I'm looking forward to fulfill my duty as the World Heavyweight Champion.

[B]

You appeared, and this is just me watching as a fan and I could be totally wrong, but you appeared to be much more animated earlier in the evening. You appeared when you were rolling up your sleeves. When you showed up at the beginning of your segment on Monday Night Raw, you appeared to be animated. I mean, even last week. I'm assuming you don't want to talk about last week either, but last week was something that I think set the the world on fire, at least from a fan perspective.

[D]

You know, I think I've said my piece. I think I made it clear what my motivation is right now. Yeah. Thank you for your time. But my time just ran out on your show. So I wish you good evening.

[B]

Hey guys, want to take a quick second to let you know that this show is sponsored by Better Help. Look, to me, mental health is just as important as physical health. But I understand that traditional therapy can can feel like a huge investment. Listen to these numbers. Some of these traditional in person therapy sessions can cost up to $250 per session. That adds up extremely quickly. With Better Help online therapy you can save on average up to 50% off per session. Your mental health is worth it and now it's within reach. I think that, that that therapy is one of those tools that you can use to help your everyday life, whether it's over huge anxieties or those little stressors, whatever's holding you back. Sometimes the right therapist is the person that's able to unlock that door that's been stuck and finally let you through it. There's over 30,000 therapists on BetterHelp and it's the world's largest online therapy platform, having served over 5 million people globally. If you think that's something you can benefit from, then how about we give you 10% off your well being is worth it. Visit betterhelp.com rawrecap to get 10% off your first month. That's BetterHelp. H-L-P.com RAW recap the world is full.

[A]

Of tours.

[B]

But you don't choose a Toyota truck to follow the beaten path. You choose it to find the places in between.

[A]

The detours where each adventure pulls you toward the next.

[B]

And wrong turns turn out right. So why would you ever take a tour when you could take a Detour. Toyota trucks. Well, we're back on the RAW recap, and I am. Please don't mistake my energy. I am very pleased to be joined once again by our favorite Biggie. Biggie, you walked into of an uncomfortable house. We just spoke to the world heavyweight champion who apparently, you know, he did a. Well, he did a show without wanting to do a show, I think. So. It wasn't. It wasn't the most pleasant conversation, but we're very happy that you're here. Thank you for joining us.

[C]

Yes, thanks, E.

[A]

No, it's my pleasure. Good to be here.

[B]

I mean, it also, like I wanted. Please don't let this be uncomfortable. I have to ask you. Well, you know you're loved in this house. You know we love you first.

[A]

Yes.

[B]

You took some strays on Rod tonight. Tony Hinchcliffe turned it into a roast on commentary, and there were some strays. How do we feel listening to that?

[C]

Look here on the RAW recap. The. The E is never silent.

[B]

The E is never silent.

[C]

Not here, no.

[A]

Look, I appreciate that. I guess at my big age of 39 years old, people will say what they want about you. It's not your. Their opinion of you is not. It has nothing to do with me. It's not my business. It's. Look, I say what you want. He was given a mic. He was given an opportunity. People will feel how they want to. It's just, you know, there's a lot of discourse. Oftentimes, as a public figure, people will say things about you, whether they're jokes, whether they're not. And that is. That is their right. I like. I think the one thing is. And I get like, I'm on here. It was said on the show, I'm supposed to talk, you know, especially when things are mentioned about me, I should have an opinion on them. It's just. It is. It is tiring to have to weigh in on everyone's opinion or whatever they say. Look, I got. I'm not. I'm not hurt. I'm good people. I want the discourse to be had without me. Honestly, I really have no desire to weigh in on that. I didn't sign up for this. I wasn't aware of this. He did what he wanted to. People signed off on. It has nothing to do with me, truly.

[B]

No, I'm with you. I'm with you. One of the best parts about this show is I am talking about other people and their problems with other people that have nothing to do with me. So I could definitely appreciate that one.

[C]

Day maybe we'll do an episode about your problems.

[B]

I witnessed the last thing in the world that I want to do. But I also, and I promise we'll get into fun and other people's stuff and raw. And it was, it was, it was a. It was a boisterous show, but it was brought up on commentary. It was on Twitter. I had to quote, tweet it and say, no way. Kofi putting up the Kofi Mania photo on the anniversary of Kofimania edits being made. Are you just looking at this going like, what are you guys doing?

[A]

Look, I know it is. It's been their duty to try to erase me from their history. And that again is their God given right to do as they choose. But people know I was there. There is no new day without me. And honestly, if we look at the trajectory of the new day since I've been gone. Let's count the number of titles. It's been a little lacking. Let's count the number of main events, also been a little lacking. Let's look at what has happened since my departure and it has not been. We talk about all the titles won, Greatest tag team of all time, all these things, all these accolades, these things were all done when I was around. And that speaks for itself. But look, Kofi, Manny was obviously a very, very special moment to a lot of people. And I can never take that away from Kofi. That is, that is something that he earned. The time he put in this company before I even arrived is remarkable. He was there. The singles match with Daniel Bryant was something people will oft remember. So I can't claim that I can't take anything away from that moment. But look, I was there. I was a part of it. Well, I don't know. When we talk about the rise of Kofimania and that gauntlet tag match that we had with the USOs. Come out and forfeit if you try to erase me. Tell me that how that happened. Was it a Woods handicap match now? Is that what you're saying? So anyways, look, I know my place in history. I'm very comfortable with what I've done in my career. And all the rest is just discourse.

[C]

Not a lot gets to. You're above it.

[A]

I'm telling you, man. Meditation, Zen, it is. It's a thing of beauty. I'm very thankful for it. Look, when you're. When you have the validation from within, all the rest is just chatter. Everything else is just. It's just noise.

[B]

Plus, plus, I'm sure you heard all the buzz that Goldberg was out doing interviews, talking about his retirement match. You were getting all excited about Goldberg coming back.

[A]

Yeah, look, obviously there's a lot of excitement about that. You know, he's someone who. He went kind of dark on social media for a while and now see him posting again. Who knows where that goes? I thought we were getting the Gunther Goldberg match. What. What happened to that?

[B]

What happened?

[A]

That interaction. I thought that was going to lead to Goldberg and Gunther. Now that's. That's a match I'm excited for. Look, I'm not in a position right now to have Goldberg's retirement match. Obviously, that would have been so incredibly full circle for me, but I. I am seated for Goldberg against Gunther. If we ever get that. Obviously, you know, we have Jay. Gunther has much bigger fish to fry when it comes to Jay at WrestleMania. But I'd love to see that match.

[B]

Yeah, I would love your opinion on that, too, because, I mean, Biggie, you come from the. The. The world of going out there and having fun and interacting with the audience and having these entrances that the audience can be a part of. You were throwing pancakes while the same way Jay's yeeting now. And. And to see Jay come out on Raw, and he's kind of dropped a lot of that interaction, and he's dropped the idea of going out and, you know, getting his work done, but having fun while he's doing it and. And said, no, man, you've brought my family in. And now what was his quote? He said, because it was just bars. It was.

[C]

It was the best.

[B]

Oh, he's gonna ask God to forgive me for the man I'm about to become. Before WrestleMania, I got chills when he said that.

[C]

It was so awesome. Is this a lyric? This is great.

[B]

Yeah. I mean, is this. Did you love it? Did you. What did you think of it?

[A]

Yeah, look, man, we're. We're looking for that side of Jay. And look, he is a merch mover. He is beloved by kids, by fans, all alike. And it's important to have that element of engaging the crowd. But it takes me back. Not to insert too much of my career and myself into this, but I think of during the pandemic when I was a nose to nose with Sheamus for a few months. Look, there's. There's a time where Sheamus put me through the window of a car. And now at that point, the funny game, it's over. It's done now, and that. That tonal shift is necessary, and I think Jay is now getting to that point. Where there was no yeeting, there was no vibing to the crowd. We need to see that shift from Jay. If you got to see your twin brother, you saw your twin brother up close gushing blood as your. Your adversary handcuffed you to the. Like, it doesn't get more personal than that. It doesn't get more real, more like, if you don't. If you don't give us that guttural, that deep within you. And look, a lot of people. I'm sure a lot of people wanted to see that here tonight, but I also want to see. I want to see that in Vegas. I want to see that. I know he's got a grand trance. I'm sure he's going to have. I saw him tweeting about wanting to have sexy Red out. I don't know if twerking fits in that moment. We'll. But of course, of course. But this level of Jay, this. This level of vitriol, like, we. We need to see Jay bring his most animalistic version. He needs to. He needs to bring his very best against Gunther, and we need to see more of that Jay next week and going into WrestleMania.

[B]

I'm so glad you made a good point there, too. And it's just something that triggered something in my brain when you talked about, like, because that's how people have been talking about Jay. They go, jay's going to be at the main event of WrestleMania. Jay's going to be World Heavyweight Championship match at WrestleMania. And people will go, yeah, well, look at the way the crowd reacts. Look at the way the merch moves. Look how much merch he sells. And I'm sitting there, and I don't even realize it, because as fans, you know, from my perspective, I think a lot of us fans think that we're so smart that we'll say stuff like that. Well, look at all the merch that he moves. Of course, he should be in a big match at a point. As a fan watching the show, what do I care who sells the most T shirts? What do I care about the business side of why somebody's there? At some point, you have to make me, a fan, want to buy a ticket to see those two guys beat each other up. Not to see, like, oh, yeah, I bought a ticket because this guy can sell a lot of merch and sell a lot of tickets, and now he's in a big match, and that's why I bought a ticket. That's not why I buy a ticket. I buy a ticket because I want to see two People beat each other up because there is a personal rivalry. There is a story between these two that I want to see settled violently. And I feel like in the last two weeks, last week we got it from Gunther, this week we got it from Jay. We have arrived at this point, whereas a fan, I can say, yeah, I want to see those two fights.

[A]

Absolutely. And that's honestly, that's what it takes at the world championship level. If you just want to be a merch mover and a guy who's fun and nothing else and you can't show that extra layer or that extra gear, then kind of mid card can be where it tops out for you. But you're right, you have to be able to sell people to sit in the seats. Especially against a guy like Gunther. That's just not any old world champion. It's one of the most dominant champions we have seen in WWE over the last, what, five, ten years.

[C]

He.

[A]

He is a force. And we've seen him against Jay, and Jay is 0 and 3 in title matches against this man. So if we don't see a new version of Jay, a grittier version of Jay at some point, as a fan, how can I be invested? How can I be excited to see you go toe to toe with a guy I know is going to bring it? I've seen Gunther time and time again. He never phones it in.

[B]

He.

[A]

He never is just an entertainment actor, just a good hand. Every time I see Gunther, he is there to destroy. So I need to see the same thing out of Jay. And I love what Jay has done. I love the merch moving. I love. I got to do the Topps commercial with him. Seeing him take off has really been a joy. But when you're talking about these big ples and wrestlemania, it gets no bigger. We need to see the most intense, the most focused version of Jay. Bring the pop and circumstance, bring all the fun. But when that bell rings, I need to see a man who is willing to do everything in his power to win that match and walk away world champion.

[C]

And really, for the first time since we found out that it was going to be Jay Uso against Gunter at WrestleMania, it seems like tonight was the one time that Gunter maybe started to. I don't know if respect is the word, but I think that Jay a different way.

[B]

He was worried. Yes, he was worried. It was not even. It's not only the first time I've seen Gunther worried about Jay. That's the first time I've seen that face on Gunther whatsoever. That's What I was trying to talk.

[C]

To him about, what was wild is that he entered the arena smiling ear to ear.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Yeah, yeah. He's often very smug. He could be a very smug man. But I, I think you're right. When he saw this version of Jay, that, that, that kind of disappeared. The smugness disappeared. And you know, I think he realizes the animal he has potentially unleashed when it comes to Jey uso because the one who is just there to have fun is not going to get it done against Gunther. But if he's focused, I'm telling you, that man will walk out of Vegas. He has a great chance. Only seeing the most focused version of Jey uso do I think he could be world champion if he's not bringing his A game. If he's slipping like we saw a couple weeks in a row, we saw him slip on the mat, we saw him slip on the dive. If he is not his most dialed in and look too, you know, we as talent, I think a lot of times when you're a fan, you're just thinking about the show. But that week, especially when you're a big time talent, when you're as over as Jay Uso, I, I think he's on the flyers for, for WrestleMania After Dark. You know, is he gonna be out till 4am that things from 10 to 4, is he gonna be out, you know, glad handing with fans, is he gonna be out? He has all these appearances and signings. I'm telling you, those things can really drain you. They can tire you, they can wear on you. So oftentimes we just worry about what happens on Saturday and Sunday. But Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, it's appearances, it's glad handing, it's business partner summits. There's so many of those things that go into it. And Gunther, I'm telling you, he's gonna have a lot of things on his plate too. But his focus is going to be there and I know it. And Jay has to be able to deal with all those distractions and all those things that come with being in the spot of being a top merch mover. So you say you want this spot. Here it is. Here's the workload, here's the pressure, here's the fandom, here's everyone and their mama with yeet glasses asking you to sign, being at Fountain Blue, you know, outside of your door, trying to get everything they can out of you. Can you deal with all those things and also be locked in that weekend to walk out world champion?

[C]

Oh yeah. And by the way it's in Vegas, I mean, there's a lot of distractions.

[A]

Yes.

[C]

Yeah. So.

[A]

Yeah, that's too many distractions.

[B]

Have you thought about. Speaking of moments. Speaking of moments, E. Have you thought. I'm. I'm assuming we'll see you maybe on the. On the. On the WrestleMania post show? Have you thought about. As if you're there standing there on the WrestleMania post show and whether it's night one, whether it's night two, who knows? Getting able to say, maybe be one of the first people to say, tonight we saw Dominic Mysterio crowned intercontinental champion. I mean, what a moment that's going to be for you, Biggie, right?

[A]

No, no, Sam, look, in my household, the dogs stay barking. The dog stay barking in my household, man. I'm telling you, Braun is the present. He's the future. He is a. Did you see that spear, by the way? I hope you guys spent some time.

[C]

Which one?

[A]

Talking. That's one of the sickest fears. In fact, the one. The one coming down, the first one from the ramp, I mean, they were all. This man flew like a tornado. All of them. Yes, the first one was. Look, I. I'm telling you, he is. He is made of something else. I. I expect that match is going to be incredible. Look, there's a ton of talent in that match for the IC title, but I'm saying Braun all day, man. Dom better make sure he walks out of that match with his fleet intact. Look, Carlito's guts, his abdominals. Check that, man. Send him to the hospital. That is. The angle of that spear is crazy. In fact, I don't know if I'm in this business doing a spear and I see Bron do a spear, I'm like, bron, you got it. No one's coming close. Braun is. Is Braun and everyone else.

[B]

I mean, look, Carlito takes a lot of damage. I mean, I think we could just say Carlito, unfortunately, at this point, just. He takes a lot of damage, but he's cool with it. That's his role in the Judgment Day. But, I mean, the Judgment Day has multiple representation in that match. Finn Balor is in that match. Don't forget Penta is in that match. But, I mean, listen, Dominic Mysterio does not just show up to WrestleMania. I can only imagine he wore his furry boots, and this isn't even the Raw before WrestleMania, okay? This is the Raw before the Raw before WrestleMania. He's going to come. He's going to realize he could. I mean, he's never been the Intercontinental Champion.

[C]

This is when I watch RAW with Sam every single Monday. I have to listen to him go on and on and on about Dominic Mysterio for entire segments of the show. And I just want to apologize for my. So cool right now because, you know, as he said, the dogs were barking, Penta's entrance was electric. And you just are drooling over Dominic's furry boots. So.

[B]

Drooling off furry boots.

[A]

Yeah, it's, it's a shame. It's a shame. But I will say I have to give a lot of credit to Dom. But I remember during the Pandemic era, seeing Dom first get out of the gate and look, I had a lot of my friends were like, this is nepotism. Why is Dom on my tv? He's not ready. Get him out of here. And I have. That is one of the biggest turnarounds in a career that I have ever seen. And when like I get to do with Tyler Breeze, I get to do these fanatics lives. And we have Dom on. And I will say, the way this man owns a crowd, the way he is in interviews, he does have a very weird, filthy charisma about him that is undeniable. So he had, he has really, he has really elevated from someone who like a lot of people were asking why he's even around, why he's on Raw and Smackdown to a guy who's undeniable. I am sure he is going to hold a major title soon. I just don't think it'll be in Vegas.

[C]

Hey, prison changes a man.

[B]

That's what I think it was. A couple nights in jail, the clink will do a lot to somebody. And look, listen, we can all make jokes about Dominic Mysterio, but he, the match that he had with Penta. If you mean to tell me that Penta is the greatest luchador under Rey Mysterio right now and Dominic was able to hang in there with Penta the way he hung in there with Penta on Raw. Dominic is a low key legend right now.

[C]

Yes. But I also, I wanted to ask.

[A]

Use the word. You use the L word.

[B]

Low key. The other one.

[A]

No legend.

[B]

Oh, how dare you. Okay. Yeah, he is, he's, he's a low key legend.

[C]

Well, Finn Balor certainly seemed to be feeling some sort of way when he found out that Dominic Mysterio was also going to be in this fatal four way match. E, you know, you've, you've been in factions before the new day and you guys all were a happy family. And the judgment day, they don't seem like they've been exactly a happy family as of late, despite Finn Balor telling us right here on the show that he and Dominic are brothers. But do you think this bodes well for the Judgment Day that they have two members in the Intercontinental Championship match? Because I'm just not really buying that Finn Balor is all hunky dory about Dominic being included.

[B]

What?

[A]

Absolutely not. Look, the cracks in the foundation have been evident for months now. In fact, if I could put money down. I'm not a betting man, but it is Vegas. If I could put money down on anything happening at WrestleMania, I would put money on a judgment day implosion.

[B]

Finally.

[A]

All going to crumble in on itself. Too many. Too many egos, too many people going in different directions, wanting different things. It's not a good look. I think the kingdom collapses April 19th or 20th. One of those days. Yeah, it's over.

[B]

Negative. Very negative. You're very negative guy. Very negative about.

[C]

That's what everybody says about Biggie all the time. Negative.

[A]

I am known for my negativity.

[B]

Yes. It's a really terrible thing. Well, Biggie, hopefully we get to talk to you again before WrestleMania. If not, hopefully we get to talk to you there in Vegas. Thank you so much as always for your insight here. You are the absolute best.

[C]

Thanks. He.

[A]

I appreciate it. Thanks for having me.

[B]

Of course. Anytime. And you know, Megan, we were talking about the, the, the Penta and the Dominic match and all the matches that are coming at WrestleMania. And to me, one of the best WrestleMania matches of all time was WrestleMania 13. It was Brett the Hitman Hart versus Stone Cold Steve Austin. That is the match that is going into the hall of Fame as the first immortal moment that is going in. And it couldn't be more deserving. I don't know if you remember, if you even go back as far, but there was a T shirt that came out and you know when Austin 3:16 was the shirt, everyone had it. Everyone had it. And it's like, where do we go from here? And then the red Austin 316 that was like dripping blood came and it was the picture on the back of Stone Cold's face from that match with Brett the Hitman Heart. And it said blood from a stone. And I am telling you, Megan, the blood from a stone T shirt is one of those T shirts just cemented into my brain from my, my, my adolescence. And I got so excited because I saw this week that they brought it back. Fanatics brought back the blood from a Stone shirt. So if you're going to Wrestlemania or whatever, you're just going to watch the.

[C]

Hall of Fame, this is a must have.

[B]

You can watch the hall of Fame in the blood from a stone T shirt, which is too perfect. They're up at WWE Shop. There's also like four different new Jay USO YEET T shirts.

[C]

Oh, we got a lot of colors that are available.

[B]

Yeah. So I mean, those are ones. Again, if you're going to mania, you got to fill the stadium up with the Yeet shirts. If not, if you're having a watch party at home. I mean, yeet has become synonymous with wwe. If you're a new school fan, you need the Yeet. If you're an old school fan, you need the Blood from a stone Fanatics has you covered at WWE Shop. It's amazing. It's amazing. The product that's coming out. As a merch geek myself, it's so much fun.

[C]

I love that we're getting this match in the hall of Fame as well.

[B]

I mean, the I quit match between Austin and Brett where you saw the double turn happen, I mean, just stone cold Steve Austin was the prototypical bad guy and Bret Hart was the forever good guy. And just the way this match was artfully done and for the end, the entire audience, that's the beauty of pro wrestling. The entire audience has gone on this ride where now collectively, it's not like you would have a conversation collectively. You just all have that same experience where we're now all cheering for this guy and booing that guy. And it wasn't the experience when the match began. It's magic. It's absolute magic.

[C]

And it still hits today. I rewatched the match.

[B]

You did?

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

Loved it.

[C]

Yes.

[B]

It was immortal. That's why it gets the immortal moment. We'll see if at WrestleMania we get an immortal moment between Rhea Ripley, Bianca Belair and Iyo Sky. I have to say, I feel like this was an announcement a lot of people were waiting for. There was kind of a. There was a triple threat vibe.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

In the air, like you kind of knew this has to be the direction you've been.

[C]

Someone who's always been very critical of Adam Pearce, did he get this right, that this should be a triple threat match?

[B]

I don't know what his problem is. Adam Pearce, I mean, this guy, Adam Pierce goes out on Monday Night Raw and he looks at a performance, he's a terrible manager. He looks at a performer in the face and he goes, you couldn't keep this professional. First of all, there's nothing professional about putting your employees on blast on television. That's not professional. And second of all, second of all, you're looking at a woman saying, you couldn't keep this professional. She told you she doesn't know how to referee.

[C]

And I would just like to say I think Iyo sky has been professional this entire time.

[B]

Well, she has been, but he pointed right in Bianca's face and she said, I don't know how to referee. And he made a referee anyway. I mean, if somebody comes in here, right, and goes, I don't know how to podcast. And I go, well, get on the air. It's you and Megan today, and the podcast is terrible. And I go, what are you doing? Couldn't you have been professional? They go, I told you I didn't know how to podcast.

[C]

You're the last professional broadcaster.

[B]

Exactly. You can't take these things for granted. And that's what I'm saying about this Adam Pearce. I don't understand. I don't understand why he can just call people unprofessional. It's not even their job. But. But the ends do justify the means, I suppose, in the sense that I'm glad we're getting the triple threat. Oh, I'm thrilled this matches becomes a loaded match. I think whether you're talking about. You know, at first we were looking at Rhea and Bianca, then we were looking at Bianca and I.O. then we kind of wanted Ria and I.O.

[C]

I think you have three of the best women in the industry in this.

[B]

Match, and you have this potential for an absolute explosion. They all hate each other. I mean, when. When. You know, that moment, right, where they. Again, Castillo aside, by the way, the disrespect. You want to. You want to throw me under the bus for all my discussions about Dominic while we're watching Raw. You guys don't understand this Meghan Moran, when EOS guy is getting disrespected. I mean, talk, talk, talk, talk, talk. You hate it. You won't stop talking about how much. Why are they doing this to you?

[C]

Just now, they're overlooking her.

[B]

Just now when I'm like, adam Pearce did this. He went. By the way, sk.

[C]

She has been.

[B]

You are an advocacy wing for Iyo sky. And I'm not criticizing it.

[C]

I think the WW universe is. Did you hear how many chance she was getting?

[B]

Yeah. Not only.

[C]

Also when they were in Europe.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

Eos go. And, you know, it didn't make its way to Minnesota.

[A]

No.

[C]

But it did make its way to. Where were they Friday. I don't remember Chicago. Chicago, yes. The soccer chance made their way to the States.

[B]

We got Roman. Roman Reigns during the Seth segment.

[C]

We did. We didn't get EO EO Sky.

[B]

No, no, no.

[C]

But Iyo EO's over right now when. And she deserves it because everybody's disrespecting her. And she is the champion, bro.

[B]

When EO gets pushed aside and you are being driven up the wall. Crazy.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

And she turns around, gets on the apron.

[C]

Oh.

[B]

And comes off that rope with just the double feet. I mean, Eos guy hits hard. You say whatever you want about pro wrestling. When you see the impact that IO makes on Rhea Ripley's back. Rhea Ripley did not go gently into Bianca Belair either. I mean, it was a violent pileup caused by Iyo Sky.

[C]

Yeah. I mean, the other thing I noticed about Iyo, even in her entrance, like, just her facial expressions, her demeanor, it changed. I mean, we talked about Jay uso, and obviously we saw those visible changes with him and, you know, in what he said to. To Gunter as well. But I think Eo just the emotion, the tension has been building. She is fed up. She's tired of being overlooked, and I don't blame her. And we're looking at the picture of how she just.

[B]

She's a magical person.

[C]

Hits Rhea Ripley.

[B]

I mean, tumble, stomp in the back. Yeah. And, you know, I. It's a weird entitlement going on between Bianca Belair and Rhea Ripley. Like, when those two get together, it's like everybody else in the world goes away. And it's just about the rivalry that the two of us have. When it's like Eos guys over there going, if you guys want to fight, that's fine. It ain't going to be a title match because I'm the champion. I beat Rhea Ripley. And then she tried to get a rematch. Bianca Belair, as she said, don't know how to referee. We couldn't get a result from that. But the point is, I walked out world champion.

[C]

Well, and I think there's this. I mean, history between Bianca and Ria that go. They've had to kind of share everything. Right. Like, even you think of 2K24. They're both on the COVID Okay. And their. Their careers have sort of almost been parallel. Right. They both.

[B]

Okay. The rise.

[C]

The rise.

[B]

Simultaneous rise. Yes.

[C]

The simultaneous rise of both of them. But don't forget, Rhea Ripley has never beaten Iyo Sky. And Iyo sky is. She's. She's on the same level as Rhea Ripley and Bianca Belair, and they're not looking at her that way. And that's why I get so defensive.

[B]

You know what's the most interesting part of this match to me, I'm trying to place it now. Like, I don't know who's going to get the loudest reaction from the audience.

[C]

I think it might be eo.

[B]

That's what I'm saying. Like, my gut is Rhea Ripley. Rhea Ripley is just this. I mean, you throw the term larger than life around a lot in pro wrestling, but Rhea Ripley is a. Is. Is one of the biggest superstars in the industry right now. It's hard to believe that she won't get that ovation, but there is something go. There is this groundswell under EO sky and this acknowledgement that she's so damn good.

[C]

So, I mean, people wanted Iyo sky to win the Royal Rumble, right?

[B]

And she. She got. And it's interesting, right, because EOS guy gets to WrestleMania without winning the Royal Rumble or the Chamber because she beat Rio for the title. And then Ria somehow found her way through sheer will and persistence, got to WrestleMania without the Royal Rumble or the elimination Chamber. So you're now in this triple threat scenario, where the only one that won the Royal Rumble or the Chamber is Bianca.

[C]

Now, I think this build to WrestleMania, this build to this triple threat match, has made me learn how much I appreciate Iyo sky, because I. I love Iyo. Right?

[B]

I know.

[C]

I did love Iyo, always. But I don't want to say she was an afterthought, but it was. Yeah, EO's great. Of course she's great. And then when I see people disrespect Iyo, when I see people overlook Iyo, I immediately stand up tall.

[A]

Whoa.

[C]

You can't do that.

[B]

Right?

[C]

That's our iyo. And I feel like that has sort of happened throughout this storyline to the WWE Universe.

[B]

It is interesting.

[C]

People did like, IO, but she wasn't getting the reaction that she's getting now.

[B]

No, it is interesting because I was with you at WrestleMania 40. We watched the show together. We watch all the shows together. We watched the show together. And you couldn't have been a bigger Rhea Ripley fan.

[C]

Oh, yeah.

[B]

And something is. I guess it's this sort of thing in a year's time. Rhea's going in now, the challenger. And you don't want her to win the title? No, as a fan.

[C]

As a fan, I don't want her.

[B]

To win the title. Sky to win, to retain.

[C]

Yes.

[B]

Amazing.

[C]

Yes.

[B]

Amazing. Well, Listen, next week. And by the way, another WrestleMania match added that I did not see coming, which we should have asked Biggie about because he knows all about Grande Americano's body. Grande Americano versus Rey Mysterio.

[C]

How about that?

[B]

Massive.

[C]

How about that?

[B]

I mean, I can't believe they didn't land this in. In Arena Mexico or something like that. We get it here in the United States.

[C]

Chad Gable is going to think of this.

[B]

Oh, I don't know. We should. It would have been great to have him on.

[C]

Oh, he's sick.

[B]

He's sick. Unfortunately, he's a little under the weather. Big Monday Night Raw next week. The Last RAW before WrestleMania. Here's what we know we're gonna get. Karrion Cross is finally going to get his match with AJ Styles. Does carrying Cross wear the AJ Styles hair to the ring? Have you noticed Carrying Cross wears his hair like AJ Styles every time he talks to AJ Styles and when he.

[C]

Was talking to Sami Zayn, he would wear his hair like Sammy Zane.

[B]

He's a wild man, this Karrion Kross. A wild man.

[C]

If he talks to you, is he gonna shave his head?

[B]

I mean, we know he looks great with a shaved head, too. Well, he saw nxt. I don't know. That's a good question. That's a good question. I don't think so. I don't think he will. But, you know, it's interesting because AJ Styles is in a position where it's time to make a mark before Wrestlemania. He's got his match with Logan Paul, but Karrion Kross doesn't get a lot of Monday night Raw matches because he's on television every single week. I love to see it. There's always a plan being concocted, but he's got a match with one of the top stars in the industry next week.

[C]

Carrying Cross Match in a while.

[B]

It's been a little while.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

And now it's the opportunity. Like what happens if, on the road to WrestleMania, carrying cross beats AJ Styles. And carrying Cross is a beast. You know, interesting stuff. But of course, the headline here is that next week the OTC Roman Reigns travels from the island of relevancy to Monday Night Raw to grace us with his presence. Our tribal chief returns to RAW next week.

[C]

Sacramento is already excited.

[B]

Massive. This is huge for that city that they're going to get the tribal chief.

[C]

One of the biggest things to happen in Sacramento ever.

[B]

And it's going to be huge for us because we're going to have a lot to talk about. Make sure you tune in. Then wherever you're listening to RAW Recap, make sure you're subscribed. You're leaving those ratings, you're leaving those reviews. Make sure you're watching, watching as well on YouTube, hitting subscribe, leaving the comments, telling your friends, hitting the thumbs up, the whole deal. And we'll see you next week right here on the RAW Recap.