It's the Summer of Punk Again! | Raw Recap

Summary

WWE NOW: It's the Summer of Punk Again! | Raw Recap
WWE x Fanatics Podcasts | July 7, 2026
Hosts: Sam Roberts & Megan Morant

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Episode Overview This episode of WWE Now Raw Recap dives into a historic and chaotic Monday Night Raw, highlighted by CM Punk’s shocking WWE Undisputed Championship win in Chicago. Sam Roberts and Megan Morant break down the night’s major events—including title changes, unexpected returns, evolving rivalries, and faction drama—all leading into the madness of SummerSlam season.

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Main Topics & Key Moments

1. The Shocking Rise of CM Punk – A Summer of Punk Redux

• (02:01) Sam immediately sets the scene: Seth Rollins’ and Roman Reigns’ escalating saga, Paul Heyman’s standoff with Oba Femi, the crowning of new Tag Team Champions, and the bombshell—CM Punk walks out of Chicago as WWE Undisputed Champion, fifteen years after his legendary 2011 victory in the same city.

  • Notable Quote: "Can you imagine showing up...only to find out not only is CM Punk returning, but he's now in the main event...15 years later after 2011, when he did the same thing in the same city, win the WWE Championship from Sami Zayn." — Sam (02:45)

• (03:36) Megan unpacks the speculation and disbelief: "No one had it on their bingo card that he would walk out of Chicago as the champion."

  • Sam agrees: "Anybody that tells you they had it...they're lying. Lying is ass." (04:05)

• (14:24) The city’s unique connection to Punk is discussed, noting how "the energy...knowing it's Chicago, knowing we haven't seen CM Punk in a long time..." created a feverish atmosphere.

• (15:04) The moment the Allstate Arena garage door opened and Punk emerged, echoing his infamous Money in the Bank arrival, the crowd erupted.

  • "That's him. That's the guy...we wondered when we would see again...Speculation...was out there loud and proud on the Internet. And here he is, irl, ready to walk to the ring." — Sam (15:04)

• (18:28–19:01) In-match breakdown:

  • Sami Zayn hits two GTS, a Blue Thunderbomb; Punk fires back with suplexes, a Helluva Kick of his own, then finishes it with his GTS for the win.
  • "Punk is the WWE Champion on a night where the match belonged to Cody Rhodes. That was Cody Rhodes's match." — Sam (19:02)

2. Sami Zayn’s Brief Reign, Cody Rhodes’ Misfortune, and Gunther’s Attack

• (05:44) Sam and Megan debate the legitimacy and legacy of Sami Zayn's nine-day title reign.

  • "Is it enough to say, 'Well, I got there and I won it,' or is the nine days always going to be an asterisk?" — Sam (06:24)
  • Megan: "There will always be a little bit of an asterisk. Because haters..."

• (09:09) Cody Rhodes’ interaction backstage with Sami. Questions of pride and ambition emerge.

  • "Cody wants that title too. He defines himself by that title. It says QB1 on his jacket." — Sam (09:44)

• (09:56) The surprise reappearance of Gunther, who attacks Cody, powerbombs him through a table, and issues a chilling warning to Sami.

  • Notable Quote: "You're not a real champion is what he told him. You're a fluke champion." — Sam (10:18)
  • Megan: “After what Sammy did, pinning Cody at Night of Champions...when both Cody and Gunther overlooked him...”

• (11:59–13:18) Shift in Sami’s demeanor—Sam observes that Sami smiled at Cody’s removal and being spared a title defense, pointing out a new, self-focused side to Zayn.

3. Factions in Flux: The Bloodline, The Vision, and New Alliances

• (37:55–39:25) LA Knight’s disruptive role: Interrupts a heated Seth Rollins/Roman Reigns discussion to demand his moment, calling both out for alleged manipulation and disrespecting his grind.

  • "LA Knight has way less chill than he likes to put out there...He is just laying it out..." — Sam (34:01)
  • Megan: "He called them two biggest vomits." (35:19)

• (38:13–41:07) The Bloodline drama escalates: Jimmy Uso strikes LA Knight, Jacob Fatu appears to enforce the family's dominance. Tension is at an all-time high, with Sam calling it “a much more gang-like bloodline.”

  • "If you mess with one of us, you mess with all of us. And that's a dangerous bloodline." — Sam (41:03)

• (53:04–56:36) Paul Heyman presses The Vision (Austin Theory, Bron Breaker, Logan Paul, Maxine Dupree) to prove themselves, threatening to abandon them if they don’t live up to potential—culminating in a Tag Team Championship win.

  • "Come back with something worthy of your wise man or don't come back at all..." — Heyman (54:46)
  • Megan: "This is the strongest I've seen The Vision look since the night after Wrestlemania..." (62:12)

4. Seth Rollins vs Roman Reigns — Eras Collide

• (25:34–31:03) Sam and Megan review Seth Rollins’ passionate promo, recounting Shield history, his envy of Roman's ascent, and claims that Roman was always ‘the chosen one.’
  • "He said it didn't matter if Roman Reigns couldn't cut a promo or wrestle his way out of a paper bag, which is rough." — Sam (27:15)
  • “He brought it back to where he came from and his whole journey in WWE…” — Megan (29:26)
  • Sam: “All the conversation ceases the minute [Roman’s] music hits.” (30:51)

5. Oba Femi, Paul Heyman, and Brock Lesnar’s Hell in a Cell Showdown

• (46:06–50:47) Paul Heyman, in classic fashion, antagonizes Oba Femi, calling him "King Schlong," and warns of Brock Lesnar’s dominance in Hell in a Cell.
  • "Oba Femi, King Schlong himself, will not make it out of Hell in a Cell." — Sam paraphrasing Paul Heyman (47:10)
• (51:18–52:24) Oba Femi fires back, promising to defeat Brock “in front of his family, friends, and children,” showing zero fear and absolute determination.
  • “Oba Femi is built different.” — Megan (52:56)

6. Tag Team Championship Shake-Up

• (56:36–61:25) The Vision (Breaker & Theory) recapture the Tag Team Titles with help from Maxine Dupree, who attacks Dawkins—cementing her heel turn and her loyalty to Theory.
  • "Maxine is all over this. Austin Theory..." — Megan (57:57)
  • Sam: "Sometimes, you know, factions have to take on different shapes. It's not just so cut." (60:26)
  • Megan: “The future looks bright...” (61:25)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Sam on the unpredictable main event:
  “Nobody had it on their bingo card to watch...CM Punk, of all people, in Chicago. Nobody saw that one.” (04:05)
• Megan on Punk’s pop:
  “Chicago goes crazy for CM Punk. Chicago has a lot going forward…but there may be no more—CM Punk is it.” (16:33)
• Rollins on Roman:
  “[Roman] was always the chosen one…it didn’t matter if he couldn’t cut a promo or wrestle his way out of a paper bag.” (27:15)
• Sam on The Vision’s win:
  “When I look at the Vision...I see Bron Breakker, I see Logan Paul, I see Austin Theory, and I see Maxine Dupri...that's just the future.” (61:25)
• Megan on Oba Femi:
  “Obafemi called him scared…He did. He called Brock a coward…I'm gonna beat you in Hell in a Cell—in front of your family.” (51:18)
• On faction tension:
  “Everyone hates each other… and the amount of tension [tonight] between all parties—it was insane.” — Sam (39:35)

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Timestamps for Important Segments

| Timestamp | Segment | |-----------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 02:01 | Show open rundown: main stories, shocking title win by CM Punk | | 09:56 | Gunther attacks Cody Rhodes; sets up Sami Zayn’s defense | | 14:24 | Allstate Arena anticipation for CM Punk | | 15:04 | Punk’s dramatic return; crowd reaction | | 18:28 | Match breakdown: Sami vs Punk—sequence of finishers and title change | | 25:34 | Seth Rollins’ promo dissected—resentment, Shield history, “chosen one” argument | | 38:13 | Jimmy Uso attacks LA Knight; Jacob Fatu reinforces Bloodline unity | | 46:06 | Paul Heyman vs Oba Femi; “King Schlong” nickname | | 51:18 | Oba Femi’s rebuttal: calling Brock a coward, promising a humiliating defeat | | 53:04 | Paul Heyman confronts The Vision; Tag Title opportunity sees Maxine turn heel | | 56:36 | Vision’s Tag Title win, Maxine’s role, implications for Otis and Tozawa | | 62:12 | The Vision’s future and faction strength discussed |

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Final Thoughts

The July 7, 2026 episode of WWE Now Raw Recap captures a pivotal, era-defining Monday Night Raw packed with seismic shifts: CM Punk’s title win in Chicago reverberates as a legacy moment, The Bloodline’s menace is sharper than ever, a new era for the Vision is solidified, and SummerSlam season heats up with fever-pitch rivalries. Sam and Megan deliver energetic, insightful analysis tinged with humor and emotional investment, keeping the WWE Universe primed for whatever wild turn is next.

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Transcript

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[Sam Roberts]

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[Megan Morant]

My champions, I have sold my chariot on Carvana. Twas a lovely suv, an inexplicably queenly offer. They're even coming to the castle to collect it.

[Sam Roberts]

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[Megan Morant]

An offer you can feast on.

[Sam Roberts]

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Grainger knows when you're a procurement manager for an office park, you're not managing one building. You're managing all of them. And to stay ahead, you need to see through walls and around corners. Lights about to fail. Filters ready to clog. H Vac on its last leg. If you wait until something breaks, you're already behind. Count on Grainger for quality products, easy reordering and 24. 7 support. Call 1-800-GRAINGER click grainger.com or just stop by Grainger for the ones who get it done. Grainger knows when you're a procurement manager for an office park, you're not managing one building, you're managing all of them. And to stay ahead, you need to see through walls and around corners. Lights about to fail. Filters ready to clog H Vac on its last leg. If you wait until something breaks, you're already behind. Count on Grainger for quality products, easy reordering and 24. 7 support. Call 1-800-GRAINGER click grainger.com or just stop Granger for the ones who get it done.

[Sam Roberts]

What did we just see? Seth Rollins is telling the story of he and Roman Reigns, only to be interrupted by La Knight. Paul Heyman goes face to face with Obafemi. We have new Tag Team champions. And, oh, yeah, after Gunther took out Cody Rhodes, CM Punk is the new WWE undisputed champion. This is the Raw recap on WWE now at WWE Fanatics Original production. Oh, I felt good about that one.

[Megan Morant]

I did, too. A lot of energy.

[Sam Roberts]

A lot of energy. Because there's a lot. There's a lot going on. Yeah, there's a lot to be said.

[Megan Morant]

We got a new champion, baby.

[Sam Roberts]

What? An episode of Monday Night Raw. Can you imagine? This is what I was thinking. Can you imagine showing up to the old Rosemont Horizon, the All State arena, where we're just classic after classic after classic has taken place throughout the lore of wwe. Can you imagine going, man, I'm excited because I know there's a WWE title match that's main eventing tonight's show. This is going to be a great Raw. What a great thing to be in person for. Only to find out not only is CM Punk returning, but he's now in the main event. And you just get to. You just got to see him 15 years later after 2011, when he did the same thing in the same city, win the WWE Championship from Sami Zayn.

[Megan Morant]

I can't believe it. You know, there were speculations all day long, really all weekend long, since Friday Night smackdown, when we found out that there was going to be this undisputed WWE Championship match. And we all connected the dots that, oh, boy, this one is in Chicago. Could Punk return? But I don't think many. No one had it on their bingo card that he would walk out of Chicago as the champion.

[Sam Roberts]

Zero People had it on their bingo card.

[Megan Morant]

I didn't have it on mine.

[Sam Roberts]

No one had it on their bingo card. And anybody that tells you they had it on their bingo card, they're lying. They're liars. That's ass. That's. And it's ass. Lying is ass. And that's something that here at the now we try to get out there for people to understand that it's how we feel. But no, absolutely nobody had it on their bingo card to. To watch. And I mean, you knew it felt like from the very beginning, one of those chaotic episodes of Monday Night Raw to see Sami Zayn come in. And we're going through our entrance shots like always, seeing the Superstars arrive. Oba Femi's here. Here's the judgment day. Here's this star. Here's that star. And Sammy Zayn shows up in that convertible, and he's been going everywhere. I don't know, is that the same convertible that he was rocking in, like, New York City before Raw or before smackdown on Friday? You know, that he was driving around. He's tooling around New York City early last week in that convertible. Did he drive it to Chicago?

[Megan Morant]

That's a long drive, top down.

[Sam Roberts]

I mean, it's a lot. But he's got a lot of hair to catch that wind.

[Megan Morant]

And I mean, when you got that title, it feels good with the hair blowing in the wind.

[Sam Roberts]

I can Only imagine I never had a title like that. But I don't think in the hair, you know, I don't. There was a time where I had much more hair. Megan, I didn't know you then. I wonder if that's related.

[Megan Morant]

Oh, okay.

[Sam Roberts]

However, it's the stress of this working environment, however, I can't imagine. And this is another thing that I was thinking. I can't imagine that as much. Thank God we had Sami Zayn on the show last week, right? We're one of the few who got to speak to WWE Champion Sami Zayn.

[Megan Morant]

I mean, Michael Cole even said it. What was it?

[Sam Roberts]

Shortest title reign in five years. That is a real hater statistic. I don't think there's any reason to put that out there like that. Put out a man's business in that type of way. But realistically, I think Sami Zayn, he told us straight up that he's not thinking about, and he said it in the post show, too, that this win can never be taken away. I am always a man who won the WWE Championship. And I think that that's true. I think it's one thing to say that while you've got the belt on your shoulder, in your convertible, on the swing, swinging next to your child.

[Megan Morant]

I loved that video on social media.

[Sam Roberts]

It's one thing to say, this can never be taken away from me because this exists right now. I don't think even Sami Zayn would have thought that nine days later we'd be having a discussion about a new WWE Champion and it's CM Punk, of all people in Chicago. Nobody saw that one. But I mean, really, I mean, what do you think about Sami Zayn's legacy as WWE Champion? Is it enough to say, well, I got there and I won it, or is the nine days always going to be an asterisk where it was like, yeah, but it was only. What do you think?

[Megan Morant]

I think there will always be a little bit of an asterisk. Because haters, it's one of those things where. And we've talked about this before, you get a taste of that World Championship Gold in WWE and it changes people. We've seen that time and time again and I think Sami Zayn is going to be no different.

[Sam Roberts]

You think it'll be a different Sammy after the nine days?

[Megan Morant]

Absolutely.

[Sam Roberts]

Like never going back to that old one. No, I mean, and the story is inherently different for always. Now that Sami Zayn is no longer the guy trying to do the thing that he never got to do. He at some point is the guy that maybe wants to get back to where he was. Sami Zayn walked into that building confidently. He was not happy with the way things went. He was happy.

[Megan Morant]

It was kind of wild that Adam Pearce all of a sudden makes, you know, he. All of a sudden, he's stepping in for Nick Aldis. On Friday night, Smackdown puts the number one contender match in the main event and make Sammy, who's a smackdown superstar, defend the title on Raw.

[Sam Roberts]

I mean, what's the difference between defending a title on Monday or Friday is the champion he defends against the number

[Megan Morant]

one contender, that it was Adam Pierce, like, flexing his muscles. Listen, I filled in for you today on your radio show. You think I just walk in and say, hey, we're going to do things entirely differently? No, I sat down. I followed the format. Adam Pierce does. He walks into Nick Aldis, his show. He says, we're doing it my way.

[Sam Roberts]

But it was a great episode of Raw. I wonder if Nick Aldis, who, by the way, somebody's got to get to the bottom of. What exactly does administrative leave mean? Like, if I got placed on administrative

[Megan Morant]

leave and then you show up to work.

[Sam Roberts]

Right. But I'm like, I'm just gonna sit in the control room. You're gonna host the show. Like, they'd be like, that's not how. Administrative leave.

[Megan Morant]

You gotta get out of here.

[Sam Roberts]

This is a huge HR issue right now. What do you leave? What are you doing here? But regardless, we're getting. Okay, we're getting all over the place because, you know, a lot happened tonight. A lot happened tonight. So we start the show with Sami Zayn rolling in in that convertible that he drove from downtown.

[Megan Morant]

From New York.

[Sam Roberts]

Yeah, downtown Manhattan. I mean, we have to drive all the way up the island, but he drove it from downtown Manhattan all the way to Chicago. And he rolls up and he's all smiles, and he gets there, and Cody Rhodes is there. And I will say this, that Sami Zayn said the same thing. Had the same vibe with Cody on Smackdown as he did on Raw, which is. You're not here to congratulate me. You're here to say this. You're here to say that.

[Megan Morant]

And Cody act. Let's be real.

[Sam Roberts]

Cody goes like, no, no, no. I was here to congratulate you. And you're wrong again. And you're being negative. I don't necessarily believe that from Cody Rhodes.

[Megan Morant]

No, Cody wants that title, too.

[Sam Roberts]

Of course he does. He defines himself by that title. It says QB1 on his jacket. That's like, you know, Tom Brady being like, I'm the greatest quarterback of all time. The rings don't matter. The rings are everything.

[Megan Morant]

You know, what's his favorite ring? The next one.

[Sam Roberts]

Right, right, right. He's still hunting for it. So I think that we see that interaction, and then the night starts. We had specifically been told that Gunther and Nick Aldis were sent home. So when Gunther shows up, immediately, out of nowhere, takes out Cody Rhodes. And not just, like, jumps him, powerbombs him through a table.

[Megan Morant]

Yes.

[Sam Roberts]

And then he goes, sammy, like, don't misconstrue this. I'm coming for you, dog. I'm taking this guy out. Cause I'm coming for you. You're not a real champion is what he told him. You're a fluke champion.

[Megan Morant]

Which is crazy, because after what Sammy did, pinning Cody at Night of Champions, when both Cody and Gunter overlooked him,

[Sam Roberts]

they did overlook him. I think that Gunther speaks for a big percentage of the fan base that was saying similar things. I think Gunther is that guy who has the same mentality as the guy that I'm sure you heard online or the guy whose tweet you read, or the guy who you were talking about Sami Zayn with at work who said, I don't know, Is he a real champion? Is he a real champion? That's Gunther. That's the voice that Gunther represents. But just when he's saying, and I don't know how Cody fits in, he goes, this is what I'm gonna do to you. And he slams Cody Rhodes head into a car. And I mean, if I'm Sami Zayn, I'm like, well, thank God that's what you're going to do to me, not what you're doing to me right now. Because Cody Rhodes is bleeding out of the side of his ear again. I mean, the damage that this Cody Rhodes takes.

[Megan Morant]

Well, let's think about it. After WrestleMania, he showed up the Monday after with this insane black eye.

[Sam Roberts]

Well, yeah, because remember at WrestleMania, of course, the damage that Randy Orton had done to him post match.

[Megan Morant]

And I mean, I think Cody gets kicked in the nuts more than any other superstar that we've ever seen in the history of wwe.

[Sam Roberts]

He's an incredible good guy. How else do you become a bad guy?

[Megan Morant]

And then what he's taken from Gunter?

[Sam Roberts]

I mean, Cody Rhodes, what is Cody taken from? Gun. Oh, you mean the. The physicality. Oh, no, no. I thought you meant that he had taken something away from him. Oh, no.

[Megan Morant]

I mean, Gunther put his head through a car.

[Sam Roberts]

I know. It was nuts. And so, no, Pun intended. So Cody gets taken away, goes to a medical facility, and they say that he is not able to compete. And I'm just going to say this. Sami Zayn smiled when he found out that Cody couldn't compete. And that's not. This is the difference. This is why people boo this version of Sami Zayn. This is why this version of Sami Zayn is different. And I feel like there's a lot of people who are just going like. Who are looking at the bigger picture of Sami Zayn and going like, well, hey, you know, that's the underdog from the underground. That's this guy. That's that guy. Go. No, not really. Because the underdog from the underground would not smile when he heard he didn't have to defend his title.

[Megan Morant]

He would want to be a fighting champion. You could say, take on whoever's there,

[Sam Roberts]

whatever you want about Adam Pierce. But the fact that Sami Zayn smiled, he's not. He can't. He didn't want to defend his title. And when have we seen that from Sami Zayn? And maybe you're right. Maybe it's the championship doing it. Maybe he got into one too many fights with water bottles. But at some point, Sami Zayn became that guy where he's like, well, now that I'm the champion. And what did he say on Friday? What did he say? Who do you want to fight on Friday?

[Megan Morant]

He said, I don't need to fight anybody. I just won this.

[Sam Roberts]

I want you to rest.

[Megan Morant]

Can I take a little bit of a break here? I just won this title.

[Sam Roberts]

Says, when does Sami Zayn, the working class hero, show up with the title and go, like, first thing I'd like to do is champion, is take a

[Megan Morant]

break, put in a couple days of vacation.

[Sam Roberts]

Right now you're putting in vacation time now that you won the title after that reaction. So he's smiling, and then happy face turns into sad face quick when Adam Pierce goes, oh, no, you're defending that title tonight. But it's Nick Aldis on administrative leave who's able to make the phone call that secures the challenger for the championship match.

[Megan Morant]

They got to shut those work phones off when people are on leave.

[Sam Roberts]

You would think so the email shouldn't work anymore.

[Megan Morant]

Not anymore. Those should bounce back.

[Sam Roberts]

Maybe it was a personal out of the office. Maybe he's saying this. It wasn't an administrative duty. It was just me being a good dude, calling up a friend going, hey, I heard they're looking for somebody. I don't know. I'm not trying to get anybody in trouble. Yeah, he's not supposed to be working anything right now. I don't know. I don't know. I think they're definitely there. They're flying loose over there. But I think that people started to sniff what could be happening.

[Megan Morant]

What made you think that? All the chants in the crowd.

[Sam Roberts]

It was that energy that you were talking about. Knowing it's the All State arena, knowing it's Chicago, knowing we haven't seen CM Punk in a long time, but we've seen all these social media photos of him hitting the gym, knowing that SummerSlam is around the corner. The Summer Slam, the SummerSlam is. Is. Is headed our way.

[Megan Morant]

And you look outside after. After you had a nice hot dog, enjoyed the fireworks this weekend, you take a deep breath in you go, ah, it's summer.

[Sam Roberts]

It's summer.

[Megan Morant]

Then you know what summer means.

[Sam Roberts]

CM Punk.

[Megan Morant]

That's right.

[Sam Roberts]

And when that All State Garage, that iconic garage backstage at the All State arena opens up and you just see, make no mistake, this ain't a swerve. This isn't a misdirect. That's him. That's the guy who we haven't seen since the Monday after WrestleMania that we wondered when we would see again, why we would see again. I mean, the speculation on whether or not this guy was ever coming back was out there loud and proud on the Internet. And here he is, irl, ready to walk to the ring and face the WWE Champion.

[Megan Morant]

It's almost like a championship opportunity fell from the sky.

[Sam Roberts]

In a way, it is. And Nick Aldis is the. Is the stork that brought it down for him, that delivered it to him. And then, of course, that manner. Nanner Nail man or Nanner Nail. And the arena just goes crazy. They never fail. Chicago goes crazy for CM Punk. Chicago has a lot going forward. It is a great city, man. But there may be no more. I mean, you tell me, is CM Punk the greatest native son? True native son of Chicago? I know you guys have, you know, you adopted Michael. Yes, but that's an adopted son.

[Commercial Announcer]

Yes.

[Megan Morant]

For me, as a White Sox fan, Frank Thomas, the big hurt, he's up there. But again, adopt it. Not. Born and raised in Chicago.

[Sam Roberts]

Right. Somebody that's decided to put those Chicago stars on his tights, not because he got drafted.

[Megan Morant]

That's right. Yeah. CM Punk is it.

[Sam Roberts]

He didn't get traded to Chicago.

[Megan Morant]

He's it.

[Sam Roberts]

He was born here.

[Megan Morant]

He's it. He is the greatest. The greatest native Chicagoan and who's made

[Sam Roberts]

more, especially in wrestling, of These hometown moments like Chicago.

[Megan Morant]

Think about it. Nobody wins in their hometown.

[Sam Roberts]

A lot of people don't. Because, you know, the spotlight's on, the pressure's on. Punk is the one who's out here going to Money in the Bank 2011 in Chicago, going to win his WWE championship match in 2026 in Chicago, returning at war games in Chicago. Like, it's all centered around that city and around CM Punk, and it really is kind of amazing. I remember. I remember where I was. I remember watching CM Punk versus John Cena, Money in the bank in 2011, and it was just this ultimate. Like, the pipe bomb had spun everybody's head a few weeks before this. The buildup to this had been something else. And the line between whether or not CM Punk was actually going to continue as a member of the WWE roster was so blurred that nobody knew up from down. It was this scenario where CM Punk couldn't win because he hadn't. In real life, he wasn't re signing his deal, but CM Punk had to win because the people needed to see it. And you're just watching this go down, and it was absolute magic. And tonight, I think even the way CM Punk escaped into the audience with that title, not the World Heavyweight, the WWE Championship, the way CM Punk disappeared into the crowd the same way he did in 2011, it was. It was poetry, man.

[Megan Morant]

And by the way, that match in 2011 happens anywhere else, that's not Chicago. It's totally different.

[Sam Roberts]

It's not the same.

[Megan Morant]

It's totally different.

[Sam Roberts]

The energy doesn't permeate in the same way. It was an incredible match.

[Commercial Announcer]

Yeah.

[Sam Roberts]

Even everything aside you know, from the Sami Zayn being able to hit punk with two GTSs with a blue Thunderbomb. Punk hitting the exploder suplex onto Sami

[Megan Morant]

Zayn, and Punk hitting helluva kick.

[Sam Roberts]

I mean, Sammy missing the helluva kick.

[Mistplay Announcer]

Mm.

[Sam Roberts]

Which, I mean, it felt like, ooh, it. Like, was that supposed to happen? Sammy misses the haluva kick. Only for Punk to turn around, realize the opportunity is knocking. Something else has fallen from the sky. Hit a halluva kick into a GTS. 1, 2, 3. Punk wins the title. And it's that title. It's the title that he hasn't won since he's been back in the wwe. Punk is holding the title that Roman Reigns held, that Cody Rhodes held. Punk is the WWE Champion on a night where the match belonged to Cody Rhodes. That was Cody Rhodes's match. Cody Rhodes. I mean, you talk about people's heads spinning. Cody Rhodes is Sitting there trying to catch up from what happened in Riyadh. He never thought that Sami Zayn would be the WWE Champion. He specifically said, sammy, as long as I'm the champion, you'll never have this. And now when he shows up on Friday night, he's showing up into another brave new world where CM Punk is the WWE Champion.

[Megan Morant]

And Cody was backstage with Medical, arguing, saying, I'm good to go, I'm good to go. And I don't think Cody is anything like Brock Lesnar. He definitely watches the product.

[Sam Roberts]

Oh, he was watching from the room.

[Megan Morant]

Cody watching this, seeing CM Punk as the new undisputed WWE Champion. Cody's got to be outraged.

[Sam Roberts]

I mean, yes. And who does the outrage get pointed towards? Is he mad at Sammy? Is he mad at Punk? I think he's mad at Gunther. Gunther's the one that took him out. It's. It's.

[Megan Morant]

I'm sure there's frustration with Pierce and all this. How could you let something like this happen?

[Sam Roberts]

Well, I mean, you can't. If you're injured, you can't hold your match. Okay, let's all stop the show until Cody comes back. I don't think Cody would want that to happen. No, you know, I mean, look, if he's thinking emotionally, maybe you're right, Frustration. But I don't think that. I don't think there's justified anger. I think if you're Sami Zayn, the frustration is more justified because he didn't know who his opponent would be until he saw that garage door open up. And CM Punk is standing there, you know, but at the same time, you asked for it. This is what you wanted.

[Megan Morant]

When you're the undisputed WWE Champion, you got to be ready for that.

[Sam Roberts]

You have to be ready for it. And now CM Punk is that guy. It's such a wild thing to say.

[Megan Morant]

Two world champions in WWE right now. Roman Reigns and CM Punk.

[Sam Roberts]

And CM Punk. And by the way, Jey USO is still on assignment to get that title back to the bloodline.

[Megan Morant]

Good luck.

[Sam Roberts]

Now, Jay USO sitting there looking at CM Punk. Roman Reigns is looking at the guy. I mean, you talk about. You talk about a comeback. Roman Reigns was able to become the World Heavyweight Champion because he beat CM Punk. But CM Punk went away for a couple months, got better, and now he's holding the belt that Roman doesn't have. I mean, this is just one of those times. And I mean. And the same thing is happening with the World Heavyweight Championship because. We'll talk about it, but there are Multiple parties circling that title. I think between the fact that you have guys holding those championships that are so cemented into the foundation of wwe and the fact that you have a young generation coming up, which is pushing the current generation to say, oh, it's now or never.

[Megan Morant]

Coming. Not just coming up. They're coming up and claiming their state.

[Sam Roberts]

They're claiming their. Yeah, absolutely. They're claiming their spots right now, which is making anybody that's already been on the roster go, oh, we have to do our thing right now because these guys are biting at our ankles. And it's making the foundation guys, the Punks, the Cody's, the Romans, the sets go. Wait a minute, we're not done yet.

[Megan Morant]

Everybody's on notice.

[Sam Roberts]

We got to hold onto these titles for dear life. And I think whatever side of the thing you look at, and that's why you have scenarios where we're hitting you over the course of two weeks and talking about three different WWE Champions and we can't tell you right now who's next in line for CM Punk.

[Megan Morant]

And by the way, we're just weeks away from SummerSlam.

[Sam Roberts]

Exactly right. Exactly right. I'll tell you what I'll be wearing to SummerSlam.

[Megan Morant]

What's that?

[Sam Roberts]

A little Pro Sphere.

[Megan Morant]

Oh, I got mine on too.

[Sam Roberts]

I love my Pro Sphere. Whether you've been cheering since the Attitude era, you're all in on today's biggest Superstars. Maybe if you're even counting down to the next ple. Prosphere has the gear to help you represent the WWE Universe in style. How else do I represent El Sucio, Dominic Mysterio? I mean, look at this design. The highlighting under the gray lettering.

[Guest or Additional Commentator]

This.

[Sam Roberts]

This is how the greatest luchador of all time should be put on display, thanks to Pro Sphere.

[Megan Morant]

And how do you stand out in the crowd? Well, you rep the greatest female wrestler of all time, the man, Becky lynch, of course. My Pro Sphere on today. And I will stand out in any crowd wearing my fantastic Pro Sphere gear. And you will too suit up with Pro Sphere's lineup of premium jersey inspired styles, graphic tees, hoodies, and so much more. With options for adults and youth. And every single member of the family can find the perfect look to show off their WWE fandom.

[Sam Roberts]

Here's the thing about gear. You don't just wear it. You make a statement with it. That's what my. That's what I'm doing. That's what Megan Morant is doing. Head over to Fanatics and shop the full Pro Sphere collection today with New Superstars. New events and new designs arriving year round, there's always a new way to represent pro sphere on fanatics gear built for every member of the WWE Universe.

[Grainger Announcer]

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[Sam Roberts]

And I've got to tell you, speaking of the WWE Universe and everything going on in it, it is chaotic to say the least. So after everything starts with Monday Night Raw and what was going on backstage and what was going on in, in the parking lot and, and, and the arrivals and everything, Seth freakin Rollins hit the ring. And I've got to tell you, there are people asking that question, you know Seth and Roman, what makes this one different? And I say just watch the show. Don't be like Brock Lesnar. Watch the show. Listen to that story.

[Megan Morant]

To me, I mean there's so much meat on the bone when it so much to Seth and Roman this is

[Sam Roberts]

and I, I don't think Seth Rollins has never been any bigger. Roman Reigns has never been any bigger. This is an era defining everything defining match between two guys who this era was built around. And I think Seth Rollins made an incredible case for that last week. We talked about it here on Raw recap about just what an credible tale was weaved by Seth Rollins that brought Roman Reigns to the point where he had to say, yeah, I need to beat you. So Seth Rollins comes out tonight and he, he talks about where he's coming from and where he's always come from. He again brings it back to Seth ripping apart the Shield, to Seth cashing in in the heist of the Century at WrestleMania 31 on Roman Reigns main event. And he talks about the fact that wrestling was all he ever wanted to do. That as a little kid all he ever dreamed of was not just being a professional wrestler, but being the biggest star in the industry. And that while he was in the Shield, he had a front row seat. He knew firsthand that Roman was the chosen one. He was always the chosen one. He was the one that was put on display. And in Seth's words, he said it didn't matter if Roman Reigns couldn't cut a promo or wrestle his way out of a paper bag, which is rough. It's like, why are we talking about old stuff? Seth, Come on, dog.

[Megan Morant]

He was throwing a couple shots there.

[Sam Roberts]

He was absolutely.

[Megan Morant]

It was emotional for Seth because he was watching his dream get handed over to somebody else in Seth.

[Sam Roberts]

From Seth's perspective, he said that it was somebody undeserving. He said it wasn't just that. He said it was somebody undeserving and somebody who I believe he thought hadn't earned the opportunities that he was getting. And now you start to see where, going back where this resentment may come from, you know, where this sort of, well, I have to not necessarily stop you, because maybe I can't stop you. But Seth said he did it to stay close, to stay in that orbit. You know what I'm saying? He talked about when Roman looked at Seth and said, you work 10 times as hard as I do, but I make 10 times as much money as you do.

[Megan Morant]

But for Seth, it was never about the money.

[Sam Roberts]

That's what he said.

[Megan Morant]

It was about doing the work. And what I loved so much about this promo from Seth, though, was we talk a lot about blurred lines. And I felt like, especially when Seth brought it back to him as a little boy and he pointed out the fans in the crowd and started calling out their ages. And he said, I was you. I was you at age 9. I was you at age 5. And he brought it back to where he came from and his whole journey in WWE with the shield cashing in on Roman Reigns and the reasons that he did it. And to me, it was a moment where there was a lot of real truth coming out of Seth Rollins mouth

[Sam Roberts]

from his perspective, you know, because here's the thing that can be a frustrating thing. And I believe him when he says that the work is the reward. I think that there are a lot of people who feel that way. But the fact is that you also have to sit there whether you think somebody is deserving of an opportunity or not. When they execute on it, it's kind of the end of the conversation. That the reality is that regardless of how Roman got here, because there are plenty of people who have been given all the opportunities and have failed at them and they've had to move on to somebody else. And when people fail at all those opportunities, there have been plenty of times where a guy who was right in the spot to be that guy does not become that guy. Roman Reigns is not the top human in the pro wrestling industry because he was put there. Roman Reign, you can't be put in that position. And anybody who will will sit here and they'll write in the comments or they'll. Or they'll say whatever they want to say and they'll go top star in the industry. This or that? This or that. About Roman. What about back then? What about this? What about that? All that conversation ceases the minute his music hits.

[Megan Morant]

Of course it does.

[Sam Roberts]

The minute there's a Roman Reigns match, all the conversation ends and you go, oh, this is why we wait for this. Because he's the best.

[Megan Morant]

I mean, he changed the entire industry. Think back to Friday night smackdown. The way that show opens. You have Sami Zayn in the ring, you have Jey USO in the ring. You have Cody Rhodes in the ring. And as they're all standing there and Sammy's talking about how far as he's concerned, the title is still in the family. And I'm looking at Jey USO and thinking of the journey that he went on with the bloodline and how Cody Rhodes finishing his story goes back to the bloodline and how Sammy was in the bloodline as well. A lot of Rhodes in WWE lead right back to Roman Reigns and right back to the bloodline. And yes, he was chosen, but what roman created for 1,316 days, that altered the industry as we knew it, that's not just being handed something.

[Sam Roberts]

You said all the roads lead back to the bloodline. Was that a pun?

[Megan Morant]

It wasn't, but I wish it was nice. I wish it was nice.

[Sam Roberts]

So, yeah. But at the same time, Seth is also probably the most underrated wrestler on the roster.

[Megan Morant]

That's a fact.

[Sam Roberts]

You know, I. And. And I think that there is something, I don't know that anybody's better at being real than Seth Rollins. I think when. And. And it goes to the point that you just said where it was like you could feel the emotion coming from.

[Megan Morant]

Yeah.

[Sam Roberts]

And when you get that, the reality of. Of who Seth Rollins is and why he does this, a connection starts to build very, very quickly that maybe you didn't see coming. But I'm sitting there, right? And I'm going, this may be the best I've ever seen Seth Rollins. I'm literally going, I thought last week was one of the best I've ever seen Seth Rollins. And then mid sentence where I go, seth is maybe one hit away, one bar away from the best promo of his career. It just goes, l. A night.

[Commercial Announcer]

Boo.

[Sam Roberts]

I'm like, oh, my God, you were in the room with me. I started laughing out loud. Cause I was like, it's just so disrespectful. I loved it. I think LA Knight is at his best when he is doing stuff like this.

[Megan Morant]

It was right when Seth said Roman has to prove he's not a fraud.

[Sam Roberts]

L A Knight, I mean, LA Night with no Chill is by far my favorite LA night because I think there's a lot in LA Knight. I think LA Knight has way less chill than he likes to put out there.

[Megan Morant]

Oh, yeah.

[Sam Roberts]

And so you go back to Seth being real, right, and how, like, compelling it was for Seth to be real. LA Knight steps up and he talks about. About Seth and Roman boring the audience to sleep last week, Skippy, Yippee, Skippy. He starts saying, brother, brother, brother, brother, brother, brother, brother, brother, brother, brother. This, brother. That starts saying, they were. They were complimenting each other until Seth got a title shot. He remembers when people used to have to win matches.

[Megan Morant]

He was talking about their matching haircuts.

[Sam Roberts]

Yeah, let's get our matching haircuts. Let's get our beards matching. Let's get. And you're just like. And you know what? I think that that is a tough position for La Knight to be in, because the fact is that I think that the audience is interested in Seth Rollins vs Roman Reigns. I think that the audience was locked in to what Seth Rollins is saying. So for LA Knight to go out there and go, this story that you guys are interested in is boring, and Seth doesn't deserve this. Like, you've got to convince. You got to sell me on that. You got to convince me that that's right. And the minute he started going, yippee, Skippy, brother, brother, brother, let's go to the same barber, I was like, oh, my God. L A Knight left all the chill in Guerrilla Position, and he has come out here and just laid it on the table like, I don't care. And it goes back to what I was saying before. I mean, for, For. For Seth Rollins to look at L A Knight and go, I think you'll have your moment in. In time.

[Megan Morant]

I don't like you, but I respect you, L. A, Nice. Got the eyes bugging out.

[Sam Roberts]

Of course they're bugging out. L A Knight is sitting there going like, he literally just cut a promo saying, you guys are holding me down. You're using your little numbers. You want to talk about getting real? That felt like it was getting real.

[Megan Morant]

He called him two biggest vomits.

[Sam Roberts]

Vomits. He called them like he was Sergeant Slaughter, the SGT himself. He said that Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins were. Are manipulating Numbers to keep guys like me down. And then Seth has the nerve to say, you'll have. I think you are going to have your moment in time. And it's like, do you know how

[Megan Morant]

many times people have told La Knight

[Sam Roberts]

that to wait, Come on, just wait. Just wait your turn.

[Megan Morant]

It's all right, man, keep working hard.

[Sam Roberts]

No, I'm not going to wait my turn.

[Megan Morant]

La Knight's. What have I been doing, right? And what is the crowd been doing the entire time that I've been waiting my turn?

[Sam Roberts]

I do like to that LA Knight is taking credit, of course, like if, say he's like watching Seth Rollins, he's going, okay, if you guys are going to go out there and take credit for the greatest generation of all time, I'll go out there and take credit for myself too. Why not? And sitting there going, and I think it's really interesting, right, because on one end you've got this sort of. There can only be one match between Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins. But like everything in wrestling, there's something on the other side of that. The story keeps going. The story never ends. So the idea that realistically, Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns feels like the bow on this story. It's like this is the punctuation mark on the story. But then La Knight is just sitting there going, nah, nah. He goes, no, no, it is not a punctuation mark. I'm the story. I don't care about what you guys have going on.

[Megan Morant]

I've been the story.

[Sam Roberts]

Yeah, I'm the story. I've been the story the whole time. I'm going to be the story here. And Seth goes, fine, I'm going to get through Roman Reigns. And that's what's coming up next. And after SummerSlam, when I'm champion, we can talk then.

[Megan Morant]

La Knight is so tired of hearing you're on deck, right?

[Sam Roberts]

He's not here to be on deck. I mean, there was just something. Because you don't see again, like, you don't see it coming. What is. La Knight doesn't have to do anything with Roman Reigns versus Seth Rollins, but him interrupting and just inserting aggressively, inserting himself into the conversation about the World Heavyweight Championship, no matter what's going on is like this, this wonderful kind of. I don't know if it's paranoia or obsession where he's like, I don't care what this looks like. I'm doing it and I'm going to disrupt. It's a complete disruption.

[Megan Morant]

I can't help myself anymore. I have to do what I have to do.

[Sam Roberts]

And listen. I love disruptors. Yeah, disruptors are the best.

[Megan Morant]

Well, and then just as La Knight turns around, who's waiting for him right there?

[Sam Roberts]

Which again, I love this stuff in WWE when it's like, no, this is the story. No, that's the story. No, that's the story.

[Megan Morant]

And here comes Jimmy USO where it's

[Sam Roberts]

like, it's Seth and Roman. Is the story. No, it's La Knight and Seth. Jimmy USO slides in and goes, no, no, no. Keep my family's name out of your mouth. And then kicks La Knight in that very mouth of LA Knights.

[Megan Morant]

And then that wasn't it either.

[Sam Roberts]

Well, that was very interesting to me, you know, La Knight, as Jimmy USO was leaving and Jackie Redmond was catching up to Jimmy uso, you could see LA and Jimmy USO said she wanted

[Megan Morant]

clarification on what happened with La Knight.

[Sam Roberts]

First of all, I love that it was Jimmy that pulled this off. I love that it was Jimmy's hit. I love that we're getting past the let's all be friends Jimmy uso. I love that Jimmy USO is Cooler heads prevail. I hate cooler heads prevail. I like crash out, Jay. I like no chill LA night.

[Megan Morant]

You like when people lead with emotion.

[Sam Roberts]

I love it. I love it. I love everybody just going like, well, if I love Nick Aldis showing up for work while he's suspended, I love everybody just going like, it's wrestling, dude. It's wrestling. It's high testosterone.

[Megan Morant]

We're not supposed to be rational.

[Sam Roberts]

No, we're highly combative.

[Megan Morant]

We're not going to think things through.

[Sam Roberts]

The amount of tension on tonight's show alone between all parties, it was great. It was insane. You love tension.

[Megan Morant]

I do.

[Sam Roberts]

You love that.

[Megan Morant]

As long as I'm not involved in it. I looked at my. My watch and I was like, wow. We are 24 minutes into Monday Night Raw and I have four pages full of notes.

[Sam Roberts]

Everyone hates each other. But as he's walking out, L.A. knight sneaking up behind Jimmy like he's going to jump him outside in the parking lot. And boom, ass, here comes Jacob Fatu, who's here to say no. And Jacob Fatu takes out La Knight protecting Jimmy. Maybe Jacob respected what had happened with Jimmy. Jacob suits himself up and says something about the bloodline because it was Jimmy.

[Megan Morant]

It was not that punk ass Jay.

[Sam Roberts]

Right, because, well, he doesn't take orders from his a punk ass. And Jimmy said he was headed to smackdown to take out solo. Look, Adam Pierce is the one who's decided to kill this borderline? You know, we're not checking passports between Raw and smackdown, so.

[Megan Morant]

Okay, open. Come on.

[Sam Roberts]

Jimmy said he's going over to take care of Solo now. I like that in that one little moment, all we saw is that one little bit between Jimmy and Jacob. We didn't see Jay tonight, who, you know, after losing to Cody Rhodes, losing the King of the ring, Roman Reigns on Raw next week. I'm very anxious to hear what he says about Seth, but I'm also very anxious to see where the bloodline's at after what Jay did. But I. It was a much more gang like bloodline. The vibe between Jacob and Jimmy, it was go, no, we're walking around here. If you, if you talk about our family, if you mess with us, one of us is going to take you out. And if you mess with one of us, you mess with all of us. And that's a dangerous bloodline.

[Megan Morant]

Yeah. And I mean, Jacob himself as the enforcer is beyond dangerous. But then when you see how they're operating, especially when Jimmy's not trying to get cooler heads to prevail.

[Sam Roberts]

Right. I'll just say this, you wouldn't understand, but that's the type of scenario where you feel good that Jacob is your best friend.

[Megan Morant]

I don't understand. But I. I don't know if you would like best friend. That might be.

[Sam Roberts]

Yeah, well, we have it. If you go back on episodes of the now you can see.

[Megan Morant]

I don't know if he ever said the words best friend.

[Sam Roberts]

It was pretty clear.

[Megan Morant]

But I think, you know, I think you're his. You're his boy. But I don't know about best friend.

[Sam Roberts]

I believe the real honorary ooze was. I mean, that's not really a phrase that's bandied about very often, but whatever. I do want to tell you about the world's number one sports fan festival. I'm talking about Fanatics Fest and it's returning to New York City. I can't believe it's already next weekend. WWE Superstars and Legends are going to be taking over the Javits center all weekend long, including John Cena, Roman Reigns, Cody Rhodes, Rhea Ripley, Liv Morgan, the Undertaker Danhausen, and many more. Do you know how much I love that Danhausen is on the list? John Cena, Roman Reigns, Cody Rhodes, Undertaker danhausen.

[Megan Morant]

Well, he's Mr. New York. Come on.

[Sam Roberts]

That's right. Here's what the WWE Universe can experience on the show floor. How about can't miss WWE programming, including you can see me now, live Q and A with John Cena, the official WWE SummerSlam Kickoff and live episodes of WWE podcasts, including what do you want to talk about with Cody Rhodes and WWE now featuring Sam Roberts and Megan Morant. Plus WWE Superstars competing in the Fanatics Games, including the Tribal Chief, Roman Reigns. Autograph and photo sessions with your favorite WWE Superstars and exclusive WWE merchandise available only at Fanatics Festival. It's all happening July 16th through the 19th at Fanatics Fest. Tickets are going fast, so get yours [e-mail] and, you know, moments get made like crazy at Fanatics Fest.

[Megan Morant]

You're trying to make one.

[Sam Roberts]

Well, a lot of people are wondering. A lot of people really are wondering. Yeah. You don't even know what I'm going to say. It could be and it is. A lot of people are wondering. They said, Sam, this is what they say. They said, sam, you said, roman Reigns is competing in Fanatics Games. I said, yeah, that's exactly what I said. That's what I said. They said, do you remember last year? I was like, yeah, Fanatics Games. It was great. They were like, no, Sam, Fanatics Games last year is where John Cena ran down.

[Megan Morant]

People are reminding you of this.

[Sam Roberts]

I forgot. Is where John Cena ran down the entryway, leapt over a table, ignored Megan Morant and Kathy Kelly, ignored, Not exactly what happened. And gave you a huge hug that was so big that it knocked furniture over. And I said, a chair? They said, no, a whole table. I said, wow. I said, you know what? I remember now. That made my life. They go, what a coincidence because I watch the now and on WWE now. John Cena said it made his life too.

[Megan Morant]

You're so humble and that guy.

[Sam Roberts]

Well, that's what they said.

[Megan Morant]

Yeah.

[Sam Roberts]

And it's gotten them to thinking, what if Roman Reigns wants to give me a hug at Fanatics?

[Megan Morant]

I don't think he does.

[Sam Roberts]

That could happen.

[Megan Morant]

I don't.

[Sam Roberts]

That could happen. He might want to get his life.

[Megan Morant]

I don't think you should get your hopes up too high.

[Sam Roberts]

If somebody wants to get the message out to Roman Reigns how much that meant to John Cena, maybe we could do something like that for our OTC tribal chief as well. Maybe.

[Megan Morant]

I think he might have peaked last year.

[Sam Roberts]

Alex, if you want to shoot off an email or something, just make sure. Or you type in right now or,

[Megan Morant]

you know, we could get it. Is Becky in this Fanatics Games? Because that would be great. I think. I think, you know, she's a big fan of, of, of me, but she Actually hates you.

[Sam Roberts]

Oh, that's weird, because if I'm a judge, I wonder how that's going to go.

[Megan Morant]

I, I, we actually have a call where you. You can't let biases interfere with your judging. There's still million dollars on the line.

[Sam Roberts]

I can do whatever I want. I don't know about that, by the way.

[Megan Morant]

It's $2 million.

[Sam Roberts]

I can do whatever I want.

[Guest or Additional Commentator]

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[Sam Roberts]

You know who actually can do whatever he wants?

[Megan Morant]

Roman Reigns.

[Sam Roberts]

Yes, that's true. But you know who else?

[Megan Morant]

Who?

[Sam Roberts]

The Ruler Obafemi.

[Megan Morant]

Oh, that's true. Yep. Whatever he wants.

[Sam Roberts]

I mean, Paul Heyman came out on Monday Night Raw tonight, and wow. First of all, he referred to Obafemi as King Schlong, which, I don't know, I had never. Yes. He said that Obafemi was walking around like he was King Schlong, which I don't know if that means. Urban Dictionary. I don't know what that means. If the Obafemi Strut is now the King. King Schlong Strut, I don't know what that means. But Paul Heyman is such a wordsmith that I feel like it has to be true if it's coming from Paul Heyman. So that's what he said about Obafemi. But he also said, aside from the King Schlong thing, he said that Obafemi has inspired Brock Lesnar. He's inspired Brock Lesnar to become the beast once more. And he said straight up that Obafemi, King Schlong himself, will not make it out of Hell in a Cell.

[Megan Morant]

Well, and he talks about what Brock has done inside Hell in a Cell.

[Sam Roberts]

It's his cage, man, taking care of

[Megan Morant]

the Undertaker multiple times. People don't leave Hell in a Cell with Brock Lesnar.

[Sam Roberts]

He's never lost Hell in a Cell. No, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, It's a remarkable thing. Um, but then we hear the Oba music.

[Megan Morant]

King Schlong, here he comes.

[Sam Roberts]

That's never music. That's really. That's never music that you want to hear while you're talking about Obafemi. You know what I mean?

[Megan Morant]

Of course.

[Sam Roberts]

Unless it's all compliments.

[Megan Morant]

Here he comes.

[Sam Roberts]

Right?

[Megan Morant]

Must be good news.

[Sam Roberts]

Must be good news. He must be here to pat me on the back, you know, something like that. No. And Obafemi basically comes out and says, paul Heyman likes to talk. So he just wanted to make sure that Paul Heyman had someone to talk to and listen. Paul Heyman's credit, although he did not look overly comfortable. I mean, this picture that we're looking at of Paul Heyman, the fate, like, he can't. Like, all of his senses are being attacked by the fact that Obafemi is there, and he just doesn't understand. It's like when you want to protect every limb on your body because you don't know what's going to be attacked first, but you don't know how to do that. So you just stand there unpleasantly hoping that nothing too bad happens.

[Megan Morant]

Close to the. To the ropes as well.

[Sam Roberts]

Yeah. Oh, yeah.

[Megan Morant]

Quickly get out of harm's way.

[Sam Roberts]

Yeah. He's not looking for a rope break there. He's looking to escape.

[Megan Morant]

Exactly.

[Sam Roberts]

To fully escape.

[Megan Morant]

I mean, especially with someone the size of Obafemian, you got to be worried about getting tossed.

[Sam Roberts]

Hopefully, if he does, he tosses him outside the ring and he's done. And that's all he has to do, because if Oba tosses you and you're still in the ring, Oba's not done. But Paul Heyman, you know, he stayed true to what he was saying, stood on business, did Paul Heyman, and he spelled it out for Obafemi that at WrestleMania, Obafemi proved that Brock Lesnar could be beat, and that he deserves credit for that. But in Italy, Brock Lesnar proved that Obafemi could be beat. And here we are at this trilogy match inside Hell in a Cell. The Brocktagon is what Paul Heyman called it, the Brocktagon.

[Megan Morant]

No one is a better cage fighter than Brock Lesnar.

[Sam Roberts]

That's what he said. Whether it's a steel cage, whether it's a Hell in a cell, whether it's an octagon, it becomes the Brocktagon when Brock Lesnar is inside. And Paul Heyman said that only one man is going to be able to leave Hell in a Cell as the unbeatable superstar in the wwe. And Paul said, that man will be Barack Lesnar. Obafemi turns around and I mean, Oba Femi, man It's one thing to be that impressive to look at it's one thing to be that impressive to look at and then be that impressive in the ring. It's another thing to be that impressive to look at that impressive in the ring and be able to take a mic and tell your story, and Obafemi can do it all.

[Megan Morant]

I mean, we were talking about this when we were watching it together. I mean, you remember the days when Obafemi was on Level up, and then Obafemi makes it to nxt, and he has one of his first NXT ples, and you could tell there was something special about Obafemi. But as soon as Obafemi got to Saturday night's main event, and then every single time since then when he's grabbed the mic, I know he's special, but he opens my eyes even more.

[Sam Roberts]

I would agree with that. Especially with his justification saying that Paul Heyman is doing damage control, that Paul Heyman knows that this is the end of the Brock Lesnar. I mean, I think Oba was sitting there going, you're not an advocate. You're just a mouth. But a mouth can't get fed without the head. And I think what the implication is that Paul Heyman knows that Obafemi is a threat to Brock Lesnar and that Paul Heyman needs Brock Lesnar for his own survival.

[Megan Morant]

I mean, Obafemi called him scared.

[Sam Roberts]

Called Brock scared or Heyman scared? Yeah, yeah, yeah, he did. He called Brock a coward. He said. And this was crazy. He said, I'm gonna beat. I'm gonna beat Brock Lesnar. And people said this. I heard it somewhere on the radio. They said, why SummerSlam? Why is it so important that Oba face Brock Lesnar at SummerSlam?

[Megan Morant]

Well, so that he can beat him inside, hell, in a cell, in front of all of his family, all of his friends, his children.

[Sam Roberts]

I mean, brother, nobody brings up Brock's family, right? Crazy dog.

[Megan Morant]

But Oba did tonight.

[Sam Roberts]

He did. He said, he's gonna beat you. I'm gonna beat you in hell in a cell. But more importantly, I'm gonna do it in front of your family. I'm gonna do it in front of your friends, in front of your wife, in front of your kids. And it's like, this is a guy who is not only not worried about upsetting Brock Lesnar, but is hoping that he pushes it to that point where Brock Lesnar is raw and emotional. That's not something I want to do.

[Megan Morant]

I don't know if I've ever seen anybody step up to Brock in this

[Sam Roberts]

way, Especially not this quickly. No, no, absolutely not. And when they have. When people step up to Brock Lesnar

[Megan Morant]

a little bit, it usually doesn't end well.

[Sam Roberts]

No, Brock Lesnar makes it hurt. Like, are you crazy, dude? Do you know who I am?

[Megan Morant]

And the fact that Oba's doing this after he ate seven F5s in Italy,

[Sam Roberts]

I know you would think that that'd be like, okay, I had a Good night at WrestleMania. I'm gonna leave this one alone. I'm the king of the ring. I can go after a champion. I'm going to leave that one alone. No. And by the way, he's gotten an eighth F5 since then, and that's why

[Megan Morant]

Obafemi is built different.

[Sam Roberts]

He is built completely different. Now, Paul Heyman is in a very interesting spot.

[Megan Morant]

He usually finds himself in that predicament

[Sam Roberts]

because there were a lot of people that were asking why last week on Raw when Austin Theory said, oh, Paul, you didn't tell me you were coming. You haven't answered my voicemails, blah, blah, blah. And Paul said, did I not tell you I was coming? Well, now you know, and walked off. It was like, geez, Paul. But he went to the Vision. The Vision had their tag team championship match against the Street Profits.

[Megan Morant]

Yeah, they're in Gorilla, getting ready to go out there and try and get back those titles.

[Sam Roberts]

And he goes right up to him and he says, don't even worry about getting speared through the barricade. He goes, you couldn't get past Seth Rollins. And he points right at Bron Breaker. And then he goes over to Austin Theory and he goes, and you couldn't even get past Joe Hendry. And it was very. I'm not mad at you. I'm just disappointed. I think that Paul Heyman has developed something that is almost paternal with this Vision group and is making them feel like, hey, I'm the one who went on television, and I'm the one who said, these guys are the future. And I'm not gonna allow you guys to make me look foolish or to sully my record. And I don't know, I have to question whether this kind of quote, unquote, tough love, if that's what it is, is going to work to motivate these guys, because I feel like if somebody came up to me, I'd be like, screw you, man. You know, that's. That's how I would feel.

[Megan Morant]

But then Paul Heyman goes and says, come back with something worthy of your wise man or don't come Back at all, which is a threat in a way.

[Sam Roberts]

Yeah. And maybe he's just trying to bring out the. I mean, it's definitely a threat. He's saying, if you don't step it up, I'm out. I'm threatening to leave. That's the threat.

[Megan Morant]

And you would just say, see ya.

[Sam Roberts]

See ya. I mean, it'd be tough to say to Paul Hayman.

[Megan Morant]

Right.

[Sam Roberts]

He is the adorable oracle. You know what I mean? I would want. If he were gonna be my oracle, I guess I would try to live up to his expectations.

[Megan Morant]

I mean, imagine just being one of these young guys, right? Like Bron Breakker, who. Paul Heyman stood in front of the entire world and talked about how you're the future of the industry and you're going to main event WrestleMania after WrestleMania, and a couple months later, he looks at you before a Tag Team championship match and says he's disappointed.

[Sam Roberts]

This is it, and it's your fault. I'm disappointed in you. You haven't lived up to my expectations.

[Megan Morant]

Yeah, that's a tough pill to swallow.

[Sam Roberts]

Yeah, it is. And that's either going to bring the best out of you or the worst out of you. And I guess Paul Heyman's put them in a position where it's like, either way, you know what I'm going to do? If it brings out the best in you, I'll be here. If it's the worst. See you never find somebody else. Yeah, exactly. Right. Exactly. Right. Now, I don't think anybody. I think that people expected the Vision to disintegrate tonight. Yeah, I think they thought it was over after last week.

[Megan Morant]

I. I kind of thought it was right.

[Sam Roberts]

And I think a lot of people were like, okay, this must be a. See you later.

[Megan Morant]

The vision got a little blurry, you know.

[Sam Roberts]

Of course it did. But maybe that's what Paul Heyman was saying. It needs to sharpen up. And so they went out there and in a position where I don't think anybody expected them to win the Tag Team Championship. I feel like the street profits just got it. They're able to pull it off.

[Megan Morant]

Logan. Paul did have two sets of brass knucks.

[Sam Roberts]

Well, I. I really think the decoy knocks are brilliant. I have to tell you, I have never seen the decoy knocks go. And I don't know if those are fake knuckles or he uses real brass knuckles as decoy knuckles. I probably use real ones because I feel like it'd be more of a distraction.

[Megan Morant]

If you're gonna carry around one pair, you might as well, have a backup, right?

[Sam Roberts]

Right. Especially if one are the decoy nuts. This is so you're looking over here. Plus, why not wear them on both fists? If you're really in a fight, you're trying to win. Right? But we almost hit, I mean, peak disaster when after two sets of knocks, they didn't work. Braun Breaker loses him. Dawkins gets him out of the ring. Theory goes for it. Dawkins grabs the Knucks. He's ready to knock out Austin Theory. While the referee's back is turned, Maxine Dupree comes out of nowhere. Low blows Angelo Dawkins, allowing Austin Theory to get the pin. And Austin Theory pins Dawkins so that the Vision are once again tag team champions. And Maxine is all over this. Austin Theory.

[Megan Morant]

I thought they broke up.

[Sam Roberts]

Well, here's the thing. I think the reason that you thought they broke up and a lot of people thought they broke up, first of all, we never even really knew they were together. It felt very.

[Megan Morant]

Something was going on.

[Sam Roberts]

It felt. Will they want they. To me. It felt very, very. If I could use a topical reference, it felt very Moonlighting to me. We knew the Civil shepherd vehicle with Bruce Willis. Moonlighting.

[Megan Morant]

We knew it, at the very least, that these two were talking.

[Sam Roberts]

Right. Will they, won't they kind of like, you know, well, the show Moonlight.

[Megan Morant]

Moonlight.

[Sam Roberts]

Yes, yes, yes, yes.

[Megan Morant]

Moonlight.

[Sam Roberts]

Yes, yes, yes. But what I don't think anybody picked up on is the fact that maybe here, Austin Theory is a catch. We all were sitting there going, how did Austin Theory convince Maxine Dupree to get in that car with him? But the reality is that the idea that Maxine Dupree would have to live her life without Austin Theory is a life that Maxine did not want any part of. She said, I don't care if it means not being friends with Chad Gable. I mean, did you see when that whole victory parade left in that suv? I mean, Otis and Tozawa. I don't think I've ever seen people more sad.

[Megan Morant]

What do you think Otis was saying, Babe?

[Sam Roberts]

I thought he was. I thought I told you it was bad news. Babe. Baby's bad news. Where'd she go? Because I was just sitting there going, I don't know where babe go.

[Megan Morant]

No idea.

[Sam Roberts]

I don't know.

[Megan Morant]

No, this is no more Miss Nice Girl Maxine.

[Sam Roberts]

No. And I don't think she left her forwarding address.

[Megan Morant]

Oh, she might have changed her number.

[Sam Roberts]

Oh, Maxine, she doesn't live here anymore. Where can I find her? She didn't leave that Information for you guys.

[Megan Morant]

She's gone. I mean, she's not coming back.

[Sam Roberts]

And. She's not coming back. Yeah, I mean, and. And. And Gable is out here, you know, making friends with the Luchadors and Dragon Lee. So it's like, what do Otis and Tozawa have left? Nothing. Dude, you stay in that friend zone too long, this is the type of thing that happens.

[Megan Morant]

Sorry, babe.

[Sam Roberts]

Sorry, babe. It happens. We're still friends though, right? Yeah, I mean. I mean, Austin Theory ended up being the catch here. Austin Theory gets the pin. Paul Heyman says, look, that was just step one. But it was step one. And he does give Maxine Dupree the credit for it.

[Megan Morant]

But listen, she deserved it.

[Sam Roberts]

I gotta tell you, there is something to me about a faction like the Vision, and sometimes, you know, factions have to take on different shapes. It's not just so cut.

[Megan Morant]

You saw it with the Judgment Day.

[Sam Roberts]

You know how I feel about factions. Yeah, they all stay together forever.

[Megan Morant]

They have to.

[Sam Roberts]

I don't listen to conversations about factions breaking.

[Megan Morant]

Break them up.

[Sam Roberts]

I don't know.

[Megan Morant]

Just evolve them.

[Sam Roberts]

Evolve. Then turn them into something else. The idea that the. When you look at the Vision, just

[Megan Morant]

kind of move the pieces around a little bit, right?

[Sam Roberts]

And they go, oh, let's bring in a whole bunch of new members. No, no, no, no. Relax there. Just do, like one little move over in this direction. Because when I look at the Vision and I see them at the end of that entryway holding the Tag Team Championship again, only this time for real. This time, Theory and Breaker actually did win them together. I see Bron Breakker, I see Logan, Paul. I see Austin Theory, and I see Maxine Dupri.

[Megan Morant]

And you say the future looks bright.

[Sam Roberts]

And I see a group that is just the future. What if that was it? Do they need anything else? I would say no. You're living in a time where we were just talking about how that roster is scrapping to get ahead, figure out who's going to be the ones that define this era. If this group of young superstars who have years in front of them and all the potential in the world, are able to capture this thing that was once built around Seth Rollins, that was once built around the vision that Paul Heyman had, maybe they don't need somebody else's vision, maybe their vision as the young superstars that are going to be paving this road, maybe that's the vision that we should all be focusing on. That's the vision that I want to see.

[Megan Morant]

I mean, this is the strongest I've seen The Vision look, probably since that night after Wrestlemania, right when they were formed.

[Sam Roberts]

It's big, man. It's big, I got to tell you. Bunch of championship changes on Monday Night Raw tonight. And you can bring championship gold home with you. Unless you're Sami Zayn, you can't. But everybody else can bring championship gold home. Sorry, Sammy. I know we were so friendly last

[Megan Morant]

week talking about how Michael Cole is a hater.

[Sam Roberts]

Well, that was unfortunate that I said that. But it's been said. You, though, can bring championship gold home with WWE replica title belts from WWE Shop and Fanatics, featuring authentic detailing inspired by the titles seen on WWE programming. Can we still get Sami Zayn side plates? Are those. I don't know. We'll search for them. We'll see if we can find them. These premium collectibles let every fan celebrate their favorite Superstars and iconic championships in true champion style. And a lot of people are saying, how'd you get those championships? And you gotta tell em with these guns, baby. And how do you show off those guns with summer tanks? Gear up for summer. With the latest WWE tanks available now at WWE Shop and Fanatics, you can rep your favorite Superstars all season long in all these tanks. We have a big, big Monday Night Raw coming up next week. Next week, Brock Lesnar in the house. Roman Reigns in the house. A gauntlet to Determine the number one contender for the SummerSlam match for the Intercontinental Championship, which people are already fighting over. And of course, we'll find out more with the Judgment Day. But I got to tell you, tonight they weren't victorious, but at least they felt like they were on the same page.

[Megan Morant]

Yeah, sort of. And, and, and EO sky is taking on Roxanne Perez next week, and Roxanne Perez said she's going to make it so that EO sky doesn't make it to SummerSlam.

[Sam Roberts]

Hey, that'd be good for Liv Morgan.

[Megan Morant]

It would be good. It would have been better if Raquel could have found a way to win the Intercontinental title. But the Judgment Day being on the same page kind of left Raquel in a tough situation where she was in the perfect position to have her soul snatched from Soul Ruka because of that

[Sam Roberts]

EOS guy up to those tricks. Listen, it's going to be a big Raw. We will be here to talk about it next week. Make sure you're subscribed to Raw. WWE Now RAW recap across all audio platforms. Leaving comments hitting like on YouTube and we will see you next week on Raw Recap here on wwe. Now.

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