Raw Recap with Sam Roberts and Megan Morant

Episode: John Cena Hits a Grand Slam in His Final Night in Boston
Date: November 11, 2025 (Recaps Raw of Nov. 10, 2025)
Hosts: Sam Roberts, Megan Morant
Guest: Big E (Former WWE Champion)

Overview:

This episode dives deep into a wild, historic night on Monday Night Raw in Boston—John Cena’s last appearance as an active competitor in his hometown, where he not only gave an emotional farewell but shocked the wrestling world by capturing the Intercontinental Championship, completing his Grand Slam. Hosts Sam Roberts and Megan Morant, joined by guest Big E, break down Cena’s legacy, the dynamics of his match with Dominik Mysterio, the ripple effects on the championship tournament, big stories in the women’s division, the shape of upcoming War Games, and much more.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. John Cena’s Historic Intercontinental Championship Win

Segment Start: [00:41]

• Farewell in Boston: Cena’s emotional return to his home city, the crowd’s energy, and Triple H’s opening promo highlighting Cena as “the greatest of all time.”

  • "Triple H coming out and just being in the ring to cut this promo about the fact that John Cena is inarguably the greatest of all time." – Sam Roberts [04:26]

• No Match Advertised: Cena was only advertised to address the crowd; neither hosts nor crowd expected a title match.

• The Emotional Promo: Cena hints at wanting to leave the business better than he found it, reveals his true last match comes at Saturday Night’s Main Event (Dec 13), transitioning attention to NXT superstars.

• Dominik Mysterio’s Interruption: Dirty Dom interrupts, playing a classic heel, reminding Boston why he’s still booed in some places:

  • "Except...there's one city and one circumstance left where you better believe…this was old school Dominic boos. This was Dominic can’t get out of a sentence." – Sam Roberts [08:56]

John Cena vs. Dominik Mysterio – The Match itself

Segment Start: [12:00]

• Match Setup: Spontaneously made after a war of words; Triple H okays it on the spot.

• In-Ring Notes:

  • Dominic’s tactics echo Eddie Guerrero, but Cena matches every trick.
  • “John Cena has a storied history with Eddie Guerrero. John Cena and Eddie Guerrero, they fought in a parking lot brawl. They fought all over the place on SmackDown in the early 2000s when John Cena was just starting out.” – Sam Roberts [14:26]

• Key Moments:

  • Dominik kicks out of the Attitude Adjustment (AA).
  • A ref bump allows Dominik to tap out to the STF, but with no ref—Sam argues this is strategy, not a missed finish. [16:03]
  • Cena kicks out of Dom’s 619-frog splash combo.
  • Super Cena emerges, AA for the win.
  • Cena becomes a Grand Slam Champion: First time Intercontinental Champion.

• Memorable Celebration:

  • Backstage parade of superstars congratulating Cena, a final “point” photo with Triple H, emotional moment with Rey Mysterio.

“To see Cena get his moment, unbelievably win the Intercontinental Championship for the first time, it certainly completely changes the dynamic of everything we’ve got going into the remainder of this John Cena tour." — Sam Roberts [18:13]

2. Cena’s Legacy, Retirement Tour, & Next Steps

Segment Start: [02:46], [19:59], [20:58]

• Cena has only three appearances left; hosts marvel at how he’s not slowing down but making history on the way out.

• Speculation:

  • Will the IC title be on the line at Cena’s final bout?
  • Sheamus, in the tournament, obsessed with finally claiming the IC title.
  • Cody Rhodes gives Cena an emotional sendoff—mixed feelings about whether the “torch” has been passed:
    • “To me, the torch got passed at SummerSlam… John Cena looking at Cody Rhodes, and Cody Rhodes looking at John Cena back, that’s the torch passing.” – Sam Roberts [24:12]

3. John Cena Tournament & Title Picture

Segment Start: [25:11]

• Two Tournament Matches on Raw:

  • Rusev defeats Damian Priest (Priest wrestling injured, Rusev driven by wish to avenge WM31 loss to Cena).
  • Sheamus vs Shinsuke Nakamura – Sheamus wins an intense, hard-hitting bout.

• Upcoming Matches:

  • Miz vs Jey Uso, LA Knight vs Mystery Opponent, Javon Evans vs Gunther, Solo Sakoa vs Mystery Opponent.
  • Uncertainty over who gets placed where as brackets are not revealed.

4. Women’s Division Shifts, Tag Titles, and War Games

Segment Start: [40:09], [44:02], [48:43]

• Nikki Bella’s Heel Turn on Stephanie VaCare:

  • Shocks everyone after weeks of friendly build-up.
  • "I love this for Nikki… That’s the Nikki we came to know and love.” – Big E [40:42]

• New Women's Tag Team Champions – Kabuki Warriors

  • Alexa Bliss & Charlotte's reign ends.
  • Exploration of whether Alexa/Charlotte remain a team.

• Big E & Hosts on Alexa Bliss/Charlotte Flair Tag Run:

  • “I think this team changed Charlotte Flair...this team was everything Charlotte needed.” – Sam Roberts [52:24]
  • “This tag team with Alexa, I think has just forced [Charlotte] to be a little more vulnerable, more human, to let people in…” – Big E [54:30]

• Momentum for Maxine Dupri:

  • Faces Becky Lynch at Madison Square Garden next week for the IC Title.
  • Praise for her development and ability to rise to big stage pressure.

• Women’s War Games Developments:

  • Rhea Ripley, Iyo, Charlotte, Alexa vs the likes of Asuka, Kairi, Nia Jax, Lash Legend—who is spotlighted as ‘rising fast, thrown into the deep end’ (Big E: “Such a great moment for her” [49:19]).
  • Hosts/Big E speculate on potential roster additions (Bianca Belair? Julia? Becky Lynch? Chelsea Green?).

5. Men’s War Games: The Vision vs Top Faces

Segment Start: [57:55], [62:41]

• CM Punk segment:

  • Punk calls out Logan Paul, who now aligns with “The Vision” (Paul Heyman, Bron Breakker, Bronson Reed).
  • Jey Uso steps up beside Punk—Sam Roberts celebrates this new, self-assured side of Jey.
    • “When Jey is focused, he’s very dangerous… his best moments have been when he’s trusted himself.” – Big E [63:00]

• Cody’s Hero’s Entrance:

  • Cody joins Punk and Jey in fending off the heels; the Boston crowd erupts.
  • William Regal’s backstage War Games announcement is teased; teams are forming and star power is at an all-time high.

• Big E reflects on evolution in the men’s division and the allure of War Games.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Sam Roberts [04:26]:
  "Triple H coming out and just being in the ring to cut this promo about the fact that John Cena is inarguably the greatest of all time—that’s not marketing, that’s a unique perspective—without exception, John Cena is the greatest of all time."

• Mike (on the pop in Boston) [06:32]:
  "I mean, you could see the amount of green shirts everywhere, John Cena, which, by the way, those shirts were unbelievable."

• Sam Roberts (on Cena’s legacy) [19:59]:
  "Backstage, all these superstars... Stephanie Van Care, the Women's World Champion. Everybody’s there congratulating John Cena."

• Big E (reflection on Dominik Mysterio) [35:42]:
  "I do love this for Dom… Passing of the torch moment might not be the right way to put it, but I think it is a big cosign that, yeah, Dom is a guy we’re going to invest in."

• Mike (on crowd reaction to Dom) [37:19]:
  "It was really funny when Dom couldn’t get a word out because they were booing him. So I’m glad that we got that tonight because I have a feeling crowds are going to be chanting Dom’s name more often than not…"

• Big E (on Nikki Bella’s turn) [40:42]:
  "Her giving her flowers to this current generation, beautiful to see... I want to see a Nikki Bella who is ruthless. That’s the Nikki… I’m excited to see."

• Sam Roberts (on Charlotte’s evolution) [52:24]:
  "This team changed Charlotte Flair. This team was everything Charlotte Flair needed... more human side."

• Sam Roberts (on Cody’s pop) [65:13]:
  "It was almost like, because they didn’t expect it… when you felt the energy of that audience, it was almost like they surprised themselves with how happy they were to see Cody. But that’s when you know you’re that dude."

Segment Timestamps for Key Moments

• 00:41–09:31: Cena’s return, promo, and emotional Boston crowd
• 09:31–13:56: Dom interrupts; match is made with Triple H
• 13:56–18:41: Cena vs. Dom recap; finish and post-match celebration
• 18:41–25:22: Cena’s future, Cody segment, torch-passing
• 25:51–30:36: John Cena tournament matches and shifting tournament dynamic
• 40:09–44:36: Nikki Bella turns on Stephanie; Women’s Tag division analysis
• 48:43–54:36: Women’s War Games, Women’s division shakeups, Maxine Dupri
• 57:55–64:18: CM Punk, Cody, Jey Uso confront “The Vision” and build toward Men’s War Games

Flow, Tone, and Atmosphere

Sam Roberts and Megan Morant bring high energy and personal investment, blending analysis, wrestling history, and humor with honest speculation and reactions. Big E offers wrestler-to-wrestler insight and warmth, praising and defending both legacy and up-and-coming talents.

Numerous “fan pop” moments are called out, with the hosts making clear what felt special about the Boston crowd, the spontaneous title change, and backstage camaraderie.

Conclusion

This Raw Recap covers the magnitude of John Cena’s surprise Grand Slam, the next evolution of championship tournaments, the new landscape in women’s wrestling with title changes and War Games on the horizon, the setup for War Games (both men’s and women’s), and leaves listeners hyped for the next stops—Madison Square Garden, Survivor Series, and Cena’s final battles. The show is a love letter both to Cena’s influence and to the thrilling unpredictability of WWE as it barrels into year’s end.