WWE Raw Recap (June 17, 2025) – Goldberg RETURNS, Cody Rhodes vs. Jey Uso is Set

Podcast: Raw Recap with Sam Roberts and Megan Morant
Network: WWE x Fanatics Podcasts
Episode Date: June 17, 2025

Overview

This week’s “Raw Recap” dives into a seismic episode of Monday Night Raw, headlined by the shocking return of Goldberg to confront new World Heavyweight Champion Gunther. Hosts Sam Roberts and Megan Morant explore all the fallout from Goldberg’s appearance, Jey Uso’s huge King of the Ring advancement (and his upcoming match against Cody Rhodes), a loaded Fatal Four Way, and an exclusive, in-depth interview with Bayley ahead of her Intercontinental Championship clash with Becky Lynch. Special guest Big E brings unique perspective to the show’s biggest moments, while the episode also spotlights the women’s division’s explosive depth with the return of Asuka and discussions of the Queen of the Ring.

Major Topics & Key Discussion Points

1. Gunther’s Title Reign Begins with a Bang – Goldberg Confrontation

• Gunther’s Mindset as Champion

  • Sam highlights Gunther’s unique joy: “When Gunther’s smiling and showing his dimples, it’s bad news for everyone else…he gets very happy when it’s good news for him and absolutely no one else.” (02:11)
  • Recognized as “a student of the game,” Gunther references Goldberg, suggesting Goldberg’s presence has been on his mind since winning the title. (03:05)

• History & Context: Gunther vs. Goldberg

  • Megan recalls Gunther stating publicly (before “Bad Blood” in Atlanta and then contradicting himself after) that Goldberg was a favorite of his growing up, underscoring their layered history. (03:43)
  • Sam reflects on Goldberg’s impact and legacy, referencing the Monday Night Wars: “Goldberg was an absolute phenomenon…Goldberg gave WCW another year of life.” (04:25)
  • Goldberg’s “forever quality” and entrance spectacle are emphasized: “Second that music hits…arena goes nuts, and you’re like, he’s gonna hit his head on the locker…as if no time has passed since 1999.” (05:32)

• The Face-off & Match Set

  • Goldberg returns, confronts Gunther in the ring, and demands their story—seeded at Bad Blood—ends in Atlanta at Saturday Night's Main Event, July 12.
  • Sam on the showdown: “It’s not like, oh this is so fun. It’s a character from my childhood…it’s, oh, the monster still lives.” (07:57)
  • The looming question: Can Gunther overcome the legend, or will Goldberg’s unpredictable track record strike again?

Notable Quote:

“There are people who do not want Goldberg to be the champion. But know, if Goldberg’s in a championship match, especially in Atlanta, Goldberg doesn’t lose that much…Gunther doesn’t either. That’s maybe what makes this all so compelling.”
– Sam Roberts (13:29)

2. Fatal Four Way: Jey Uso Qualifies for King of the Ring Semifinals

• Participants: Jey Uso, Bronson Reed, Rusev, Sheamus
• Chaos & Interference:
  • Breakdowns involving Braun Breaker, Sami Zayn, Penta, and LA Knight all impacting the finish.
  • Jey Uso hits two USO Splashes to win, overcoming distractions and interference.
• Commentary on the Match:
  • Sam: “You’re talking about four guys who decided, like…let’s use all [the TV minutes]. Whenever the ring is empty, we’re gonna go in and beat each other into oblivion.” (14:12)
  • Megan hopes for a brewing feud: “I want more Rusev–Sheamus coming out of the Fatal Four.” (14:41)
• Aftermath: Jey qualifies for semifinals; will face Cody Rhodes next week.

3. Cody Rhodes vs. Jey Uso & the Seth Rollins Factor

• Cody Makes the Save: Seth Rollins, furious over his faction’s tournament exit, goes after Jey Uso; Cody Rhodes arrives, electrifying the crowd for a face-off with Rollins.
• Historical Rivalry: Sam dubs them “cosmically linked” since Cody’s WWE return. (17:10)
• Significance: Jey vs. Cody is a face-vs-face encounter with deep history and genuine respect—“one for the ages.” (20:05)
• Tournament Format Praised: “That’s what I love about tournaments…if not for the way the brackets are laid out, we’d never see this match.” (20:05)

Notable Quote:

“Cody Rhodes brought Jey Uso over to Monday Night Raw…an integral part of Jey Uso becoming a singles star.”
– Megan Morant (19:58)

4. Exclusive Interview: Bayley on Her Comeback, Becky Lynch, and the Women’s IC Title

First Impressions & Emotions

• Return to RAW & “Ding Dong Hello”:
  • Bayley admits real emotion: “I was honestly like, pretty emotional coming into work…miss that show…something I was really looking forward to.” (26:33)

Relationship with Becky Lynch

• Stirring words: “It’s annoying, and it’s disgusting that she has to go to these lengths to get ahead…she’s changed.” (26:33)
• Digging into Four Horsewomen Dynamics:
  • “It’s a little complicated…like, sisterly family type situation. Honestly, I’ve never really been close to Becky…with Sasha, it was different.” (29:02)
  • The tension, “grudges that have kind of existed…maybe always bubbling under the surface.” (29:02)
• On being dismissed by Becky: “I’m not somebody you can just call trash and think it’s okay…I’m not going to let it sit like that.” (30:55)

Aggression & Motivation

• On what it’ll take to beat Becky:
  • “It’s going to take all those years of experience and bring out my stone cold DTA attitude and just show her what I can be all about this time around.” (32:15)
• Her drive after setbacks:
  • “There's always been a chip on my shoulder for the reasons…everything Becky has gotten instead of me…that’s always pushed me…that is what is pushing me right now.” (37:06)

The IC Title Picture

• Sees herself raising the title and the division: “If a match between Becky and I can, you know, even level it up just a little bit, then that’s what I want to do. But I’m just here to beat the living crap out of her.” (39:27)
• Praises the women’s division for its hunger and evolution.

Notable Exchange:

Bayley: “I’m not okay with getting walked all over. I’m not okay with getting called trash…and I’m not somebody that you can just call trash and think it’s okay. I’m not going to let it sit like that.” (29:27)

5. Women’s Division Heats Up: Asuka’s Return & Queen of the Ring

• Asuka Returns & Advances:
  • “Oscar not only returns and looks like a million bucks, but advances in the Queen of the Ring tournament.” (47:58)
  • The field: Jade Cargill, Roxanne Perez, Asuka, Alexa Bliss.
  • Megan: “We’ve been talking about the women’s division and how deep it is—add someone like Asuka, it’s just boom, boom, boom…” (48:23)
  • Fun tangent: Megan and Sam joke about the crowd reactions to Stephanie Vaquer’s “Devil’s Kiss” finisher.

6. Judgment Day Drama & Liv Morgan Injury

• Judgment Day Cohesion: Sam notes they felt “old school” when surrounding AJ Styles in the ring (52:37), even as Megan spots internal tension—mainly Raquel’s visible frustration and Finn Balor’s private conversation with Roxanne Perez.
• Liv Morgan’s Injury Acknowledged: Hosts praise her as one of the top performers; send best wishes for recovery after her shoulder separation. (52:35)

7. King and Queen of the Ring Semifinals Preview with Big E

• Men’s Field:

  • Randy Orton vs. Sami Zayn on Smackdown
  • Cody Rhodes vs. Jey Uso on RAW
  • Big E: “The Jay and Cody match intrigues me so much…if he doesn’t win this tournament…who is Jey Uso now?” (63:41)
  • On Sami Zayn: “People would just like a Mick Foley-esque run at a world championship…he is the picture of perseverance.” (66:09)
  • Asks if Randy Orton is on a run to break Cena’s record for world title reigns.

• Women’s Field:

  • “Queen of the Ring on Smackdown: Asuka vs. Alexa Bliss; Monday: Jade Cargill vs. Roxanne Perez.”
  • Big E: “Jade has improved in ways we haven’t really talked about…Roxanne proves every week she is extremely talented. Asuka is one of my favorite wrestlers on the planet…wouldn’t surprise me to see her win the tournament and be champion again.” (67:50)

8. Special Segment: R-Truth (Ron Killings) vs. John Cena on Smackdown

• Big E’s Perspective:' “I can only imagine how chaotic that few days was for Truth…to see someone who bet on himself, who knew his value…he is the picture of perseverance, he is the picture of endurance. So often in our industry…the squeaky wheel gets the grease…that has never been our Truth.” (73:48)
• Says this version of Truth, “so focused, so locked in…can beat anybody. I buy every single word this man says.” (74:22)

Memorable Quotes & Moments

• Sam Roberts on Goldberg’s impact:
  “Goldberg gave WCW another year of life. Like, Goldberg was an absolute phenomenon.” (04:25)

• Megan Morant on the atmosphere:
  “You don’t see Gunther get rattled often. Right. And I wouldn’t say he was rattled. Gunter’s never…” (07:05)

• Bayley, on her motivation:
  “There’s always something…That is what is pushing me right now. I got to prove them wrong. I got to prove her wrong. I have to prove myself right, that I can get to that spot. And I’m going to go through Becky to do it.” (37:06)

• Big E on Gunther vs. Goldberg:
  “If you’re a Gunther fan, I think when it’s all said and done, you want to look at the list of names on his resume that he’s beaten…it’s such a great test for Gunther.” (58:17)

Key Timestamps For Main Segments

• 02:08 – Gunther’s “bad news” smile & champion mindset
• 05:32 – Goldberg’s entrance and legacy
• 07:52 – Goldberg confronts Gunther—Match at Saturday Night’s Main Event announced
• 14:11 – Fatal Four Way: Jey Uso qualifies, match breakdown
• 17:10 to 20:05 – Cody Rhodes & Seth Rollins face-off; set up of Cody vs. Jey
• 25:05 to 41:54 – Bayley Interview: Emotions, Becky feud, 4HW, IC Title legacy
• 47:58 – Asuka returns and advances in Queen of Ring
• 52:35 – Liv Morgan injury discussed
• 56:51 – Big E guest appearance, Goldberg vs. Gunther insight
• 63:41 – King/Queen of Ring semifinals preview
• 70:48 – John Cena vs. R-Truth discussion

Takeaways & Tone

• The episode is energetic, marked by friendly banter (sometimes with Megan egging on Sam and vice versa) and reverence for wrestling history.
• Deep dives into character psychology—especially around Gunther, Goldberg, and Bayley—elevate storylines for hardcore and casual fans alike.
• The women’s division is highlighted for both its legacy and future, with Bayley and Asuka praised for setting high competitive standards.
• Big E’s guest appearance adds humor and wisdom, enriching the conversation around nostalgia and progress in WWE.

Conclusion

This edition of “Raw Recap” sets the stage for the summer’s biggest WWE stories: Gunther’s dangerous title reign, Goldberg’s shocking return, the compelling King and Queen of the Ring tournaments on the road to SummerSlam, and a women’s division full of returning icons and rising stars. Bayley’s deeply personal interview adds a raw, emotional touch, and special guest Big E grounds speculation with a performer’s perspective. The episode’s blend of insight, wrestling lore, and unfiltered reactions makes it vital listening for fans ahead of a pivotal stretch on the WWE calendar.