Roman Reigns finds himself in another Tongan Death Grip | Raw Recap

Summary

WWE Now Raw Recap – May 5, 2026
Episode: “Roman Reigns finds himself in another Tongan Death Grip”
Hosts: Sam Roberts, Megan Morant, Special Guest: Big E

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Episode Overview

This episode of WWE Now delivers a deep-dive recap of the latest Monday Night Raw, the last stop before Backlash. Hosts Sam Roberts and Megan Morant, joined later by Big E, unpack the explosive contract signing between Roman Reigns and Jacob Fatu, analyze volatile rivalries (Seth Rollins vs. Bron Breakker, Sol Ruka vs. Becky Lynch), break down standout matches, and discuss developing storylines across the Raw roster. With sharp backstage insight, entertaining banter, and palpable excitement, the team gets listeners ready for the big Premium Live Event.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

Roman Reigns, Jacob Fatu & The Tongan Death Grip

Contract Signing and Bloodline Drama

• Roman Reigns was left waiting two hours backstage for Jacob Fatu to arrive and finalize the contract (03:42). Sam notes, “Roman was furious. Did you see the video that came out on Social? …screaming at Adam Pearce.”
• The tension between Reigns and Fatu was palpable, with Roman demanding respect and Fatu pushing back:
  • Roman: “You just go, hey, I’m here to be acknowledged. …Jacob is sitting there going, nah, it ain’t that.” (17:53)
  • Fatu’s goal is to lift his own family up, contrasting with Roman’s broader “generational wealth” vision: “You’re talking about your seven kids. I’m talking about 107 kids.” (24:20)
• The contract signing ended with Fatu once again applying the infamous Tongan Death Grip to Reigns, echoing classic Bloodline violence and leaving Roman gasping for air (29:09).
  • Sam: “You can almost feel the life escaping out of Roman Reigns’ body through his eyes. He’s looking at Adam Pearce going, you have to do something here.” (30:08)
• The hosts speculate whether Backlash’s main event will be a straight fight or a larger Bloodline affair, with the family in chaos and shifting alliances (31:04).
  • “Jacob has proved he’s not afraid to go there. This is what desperate times call for, desperate measures.” —Megan (30:47)

Raw’s Faction Warfare & Rivalries

Seth Rollins vs. Bron Breakker

• The long-standing Rollins–Reigns–and now Breakker–rivalry is at its boiling point.
  • “You look at that and you go, this is what we talk about when we talk about rivalries… just in this moment, those two sharing a screen together. The way they look at each other, the intensity.” —Sam (05:29)
• Rollins is continually ambushed by Breakker but managed a small payback this week, only to be laid out again (09:13, 14:13).
• Rollins’ resilience is praised: “He goes, no, I’m breathing. That’s the problem. You left air in my lungs.” —Seth (13:34)
• Paul Heyman, trying to control chaos, is ignored by his charges: “Nobody’s listening to poor Paul Heyman… he’s got no spot.” —Sam (13:52)

Logan Paul, Austin Theory, and The Vision

• Logan Paul and Austin Theory run wild, with Logan furious at Joe Hendry’s “Fire Logan Paul” song (10:19).
• The Street Profits intervene, followed by Bron Breakker clearing house, showing internal chaos atop Raw (12:40–14:13).
• Paul Heyman tries to advise discipline, but his “Vision” is fracturing.

Judgment Day Intrigue – JD McDonagh, Finn Bálor, Roxanne Perez

• JD McDonagh scores a major win over Finn Bálor, cementing his value to Judgment Day (54:34, 55:12)
  • “Let’s just talk about this man’s ability. Truly, one of our best in-ring workers across the board. This guy can absolutely go.” —Big E (55:12)
• Roxanne reveals her loyalty to the group by attacking Bálor; her future direction remains a source of speculation (58:26–59:37).

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Women's Division Spotlight

Becky Lynch vs. Sol Ruka – The "Spotlight Stealing" Debate

• Sol Ruka signs with Raw and immediately gets into a war of words (and blows) with Becky Lynch over supposed “spotlight stealing” (34:11–37:23).
  • “You want to see Sol assert herself… If she wants to be great, she’s got to challenge the greatest. …That’s what Soul’s trying to do—she is trying to beat the man.” —Big E (39:17)
• The feud gets physical, with Becky accidentally punching Adam Pearce amidst the chaos and Sol hitting the Soul Snatcher on Lynch (42:03).
• Discussion centers around respect for legends vs. aggressive ambition:
  • “Kids these days, they don’t respect greatness.” —Megan (38:28)
  • “You want to see Soul assert herself… not just to get along, to shake hands… If she wants to be great, she’s got to challenge the greatest.” —Big E (39:17)
  • “Would you say that was the least cool Soul Snatcher you’ve seen?” —Sam (42:12)

Iyo Sky vs. Asuka – Mentor vs. Mentee

• Face-to-face segment ends with Iyo getting misted by Asuka (61:24).
  • “Which one of them changed? …When that bell rings… that has to stay out there, because Asuka is still incredibly dangerous.” —Big E (64:19)
  • “Oscar is someone who has just not lost a step at all… truly one of the most slept-on… which is crazy to say because she is a legend.” —Big E (62:24)

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New Signings & Open Challenges

Oba Femi’s Open Challenge

• Oba Femi continues to shock, defeating Otis with a superhuman display of power (44:42–46:29).
  • “What an incredible performance. …Oba is just made of something different… You’re not getting an athlete like this to come around very often.” —Big E (48:49)
• Both Big E and Sam compare Femi favorably to Brock Lesnar and Goldberg, emphasizing his rare agility and charisma (47:00–49:32).
  • “He’s got that face-of-the-company energy. That to me is very scary.” —Sam (49:32)
• Big E praises Oba’s connection with the crowd, improvisational ability, and relatability despite his physical gifts (50:27–52:23).
  • “He’s truly a one of one. I don’t see him and think, he’s a cookie cutter version of this former superstar.” —Big E (50:27)

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Notable Quotes & Moments (with Timestamps)

• On Roman/Seth Showdown:
  “There is so much history being told with those two just staring each other down, realizing this is never going to be over. …No words needed to be spoken—except Seth Rollins, who said, ‘You’re in my way.’” —Seth Rollins (06:04-06:09)

• On Fatu’s Motivation:
  “Jacob is bringing every ounce that one could bring to Roman Reigns… it is beyond compelling to me.” —Sam (30:16)

• On Becky Lynch vs. Sol Ruka:
  “Would you like to see Soul come in and bow and say, 'I’m so sorry, Becky, I’ll leave now?' Is that someone you can get behind as a fan? No, you want to see Soul assert herself…” —Big E (39:17)

• On Oba Femi:
  “He is one of those wrestlers that feels like he’s made from a lab, like, truly. …Otis is truly one of the most dense human beings you will ever come across… and to see Oba just toy with him, truly, truly incredible.” —Big E (46:29–48:49)

• On Iyo/Asuka:
  “She [Asuka] is someone who, I think, has really shaped wrestling, not just in Japan, women’s wrestling in particular, but has also shaped it in WWE and in the United States.” —Big E (62:24)

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Timestamps for Major Segments

• 03:42 – Roman Reigns forced to wait for Jacob Fatu, backstage eruption
• 05:03 – Reigns and Rollins nose-to-nose in Gorilla position
• 08:37 – Bron Breakker ambushes Rollins, feud escalates
• 10:07 – Logan Paul runs wild, Joe Hendry heat
• 14:13 – Street Profits intervene, mass chaos
• 17:53 – Fatu confronts Reigns; “Acknowledge” drama
• 24:20–29:09 – The contract signing devolves; Fatu applies the Tongan Death Grip
• 34:11–42:19 – Sol Ruka signs, Becky Lynch confrontation; contract signing chaos
• 44:42–52:55 – Oba Femi Open Challenge vs. Otis, praised by Big E
• 54:34–59:55 – JD McDonagh beats Finn Bálor, Roxanne Perez proves Judgment Day loyalty
• 61:24–64:19 – Iyo Sky/Asuka face-off, mist incident & history

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Tone & Style

True to WWE’s energetic and opinionated flair, the hosts blend sharp analysis with playful ribbing. Big E adds insider perspective, amplifying the show’s authentic wrestling locker room energy.

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This recap provides a comprehensive rundown of Raw’s major happenings, key rivalries, storyline developments, and the passion driving WWE’s top superstars. Whether you missed Raw or want an expert breakdown, this episode delivers essential context, memorable moments, and bold predictions heading into Backlash.

Transcript

[Big E]

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[Sam Roberts]

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[Megan Morant]

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[Sam Roberts]

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[Megan Morant]

Yeah, the bird looks out of your league anyways.

[Sam Roberts]

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[Sam Roberts]

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[Big E]

What, you just gonna walk away? Time to bring the juice.

[Sam Roberts]

Never leave a fit behind. Grip it, rip it and bring the juice.

[Big E]

That flavor's just out of Drop the Legos and bring the juice.

[Sam Roberts]

Roman Reigns finds himself in the clutches of another Tongan Death Grip. Bron Breakker and Seth Rollins can't stop fighting. The Obafemi Open Challenge begins. Sol Ruka and Becky lynch square off. And so much more. This is the Raw recap on WWE now at wwe and Fanatics original production. Oh, baby. Welcome to WWE Now's Raw recap. Megan, I cannot wait. A lot to talk about today. We're gonna have Big E a little later on on the show today. Coming right off of Monday Night Raw, the last Monday Night Raw before backlash. And I'll tell you this. I don't remember the last time we were in a situation that Roman Reigns was waiting around for two hours during the show. And Roman was furious. Did you see the video that came out on Social? Oh, I saw it screaming yes at Adam Pierce.

[Megan Morant]

I mean, he lost his cool, Roman.

[Sam Roberts]

Yeah, well, he should have. Could you imagine? I mean, everything is all choreographed perfectly. You get out of the suv, you. You pull right up. You walk up to Gorilla position.

[Megan Morant]

Not wasting any time, right?

[Sam Roberts]

The curtain starts. You go through the curtain, the music starts playing, the aura is there, and all of a sudden, who's there to tell you you can't do it? Adam Pierce tells Roman Reigns, don't bother, Jacob. Fatu's not here yet.

[Megan Morant]

Roman's gotta wait, bro. You need two signatures on that contract to make it official.

[Sam Roberts]

Right. Unless they're doing it Brock Lesnar Obafemi style. And that's not the spirit.

[Megan Morant]

No.

[Sam Roberts]

Of what was going on. So. And we saw it throughout the night, too. Roman Reigns, not like he left the building, went out to get like a snack or something. Then I'll come back towards the end. No, no, no, no, no. He was in that office waiting around with sword jaw Adam Pearce for the entire show.

[Megan Morant]

Not a lot of people can make Roman Reigns wait.

[Sam Roberts]

No. And Jacob Fatu did it tonight. But we had a very compelling moment, a captivating moment, a singular moment, that right now, it's two ships crossing in the night. But there is so much more there. You had an audible reaction when you realized what was happening.

[Megan Morant]

Oh, I did.

[Sam Roberts]

Roman Reigns in guerrilla position stopped before he goes out through the curtain. And who's right there, face to face with him, nose to nose, ready to go out himself, but his former SHIELD teammate, Seth freaking Rollins.

[Megan Morant]

And we all go, oh, Bo boy. There it is. I just love these little. These little teasers.

[Sam Roberts]

I mean, Hel. And you look at that and you look at that and you go, this is. This is what we. What we talk about when we talk about rivalries. And you talk. You know, there are those. Those. Those moments where you can see, like just in this moment, those two sharing a screen together. The way they look at each other, the intensity. There is so much history being told with those two just staring each other down realizing this is never going to be over. And it's certainly not over right now. And it's just in that moment.

[Megan Morant]

Nope. No words needed to be spoken.

[Sam Roberts]

No. Except Seth Rollins, who said, you're in

[Megan Morant]

my way, which immediately made me pause and go.

[Sam Roberts]

In life, I know you go right back to Roman and Cody. There are. There are stories that are told in wwe, and some of them are told for now, and some of them are. These are these huge overarching stories that take place over the course of years, and Roman and Cody is that. But now with Roman and Cody on two separate brands, don't forget last week, Seth Rollins is on television and he's saying, you know, one of the things that is Bron Breaker's fault is not just that seth lost at WrestleMania, but Seth says it's Bron Breaker's fault that he lost the title without ever getting beaten and. And that Roman Reigns is now the champion. That World Heavyweight title is something that Seth Rollins identifies with himself, maybe more so than any other champion. He was the inaugural champion. He. I mean, that's his title and he never lost it. And for him to not only have never lost it, but to now look at it back on Roman Reigns, who. The last time there was a title on Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins had to suck up every bit of pride and do everything he could, sacrifice his entire body to make sure that Roman Reigns lost that title to Cody Rhodes just to get it off of Roman, who. It doesn't matter who went on, just to get it off of Roman. Now that same guy that he felt that strongly about getting the WWE Championship off of, that same guy is holding the title that Seth considers his. And I feel like all of that is just in that moment with those eyes, and you're in my way.

[Megan Morant]

It's one of those things, right? Roman and Seth, we talk about it. That's a match we'd wanna see at some point. When do we get there? I don't know. But when you see them on the same screen at the same time, immediately injected into my veins. Injected into my veins right now, instantly.

[Sam Roberts]

But there's so much going on as we head to Backlash that once the show starts getting started, like we have that moment to start, and then you almost forget about it because there is so much going on outside of that with Seth Rollins and with Roman Reigns, with Seth Rollins. And it happened instantly, right? Seth Rollins starts walking down the aisle to say whatever it is that he plans on saying, but he does not make it to the ring because Bron Breakker just shows up instantly.

[Megan Morant]

He's completely ambushed by Breaker.

[Sam Roberts]

Tears him limb from limb, just pillar to post. A beating gets put down on Seth Rollins. And then just when we think it's over, Bron Breaker jumps back in the ring, spears Seth Rollins, and leaves him laying again. He this is not the first time. I feel like every time that they get into it, Bron Breaker figures out another way to leave Seth Rollins absolutely

[Megan Morant]

laying and again ambushing him once again. It happened at WrestleMania. It happened last week on Raw. It happens again tonight. Seth Rollins, do you get attacked by Bron Breaker?

[Sam Roberts]

Do you point that out to say that it's an asterisk? Meaning? Just because Bron Breaker has been this successful against Seth Rollins doesn't mean he's going to be this successful against Seth Rollins. Because when there's a match between the two of them, when you're a backlash, it's like there's no sneak attack, there's no ambush.

[Megan Morant]

But later on tonight, Seth Rollins got to ambush Bron Breaker.

[Sam Roberts]

And how did it turn out?

[Megan Morant]

Not so good for Seth.

[Sam Roberts]

So, like, we get into this, you know, I feel like there is. So there's a lot of complications right now in the vision, and I feel like leadership is splintered, and I feel like there's not a concentration. Nobody's paying attention to the children. And I say that with all due respect. Everybody's paying attention to what's going on at the top of the food chain, and nobody's paying attention to the fact that, like, Logan Paul and Austin Theory are just like emotional maniacs.

[Megan Morant]

Yeah. I mean, Paul Heyman was trying to look out for Logan Paul earlier and said, you know, you are. You are off your rocker, and there is no way that you can put hands on Joe Hendry tonight because you will end up in jail.

[Sam Roberts]

And how did Logan do with that advice? Didn't bother taking it. He didn't listen to it at all. No, no. He just jumps in. We see Austin Theory vs. Joe Hendry. Logan Paul just, you know, they were describing him on commentary as pacing around the ring like an animal. He was furious. And why is he furious? Because Joe Hendry said, fire Logan Paul in a song melodically.

[Megan Morant]

Yeah. And Logan Paul says nobody can call for his firing.

[Sam Roberts]

Well, I mean, anybody can say it. I mean, look, I don't think Joe Hendry has any jurisdiction over the board of directors. Like, I mean, I think so. You know, I don't know that he has that kind of power. Maybe. Maybe it's because Joe Hendry is new to the Roster and Logan Paul, I mean, it is interesting that Logan Paul is in a position now where he feels like he's owed a certain degree of respect, which I don't mean to laugh when I say it. It sounds very disrespectful that I laugh when I say it. But the fact that Logan Paul has gone from celebrity wrestler who's trying to sell, you know, who's been a full

[Megan Morant]

timer now for what, eight months?

[Sam Roberts]

I don't know. I mean, that's six to eight months. Yeah, something like that. But he claimed full time or way before he was a full timer.

[Megan Morant]

He did.

[Big E]

You know he did.

[Sam Roberts]

But it's true. It's not about hydration stations anymore. It's about Logan Paul wanting to really do this.

[Megan Morant]

Showing up in Omaha.

[Sam Roberts]

Yeah, he's showing up in Omaha, but everybody else shows up in Omaha. They don't get extra credit for it. It's raw. They're lucky to be on the show. Nobody's sitting there go. You don't say Joe. You don't look at Joe Hendry and go, gee, how amazing is it that Joe Hendry showed up in Omaha? He should show up at Omaha. Omaha's a great city.

[Megan Morant]

It is great, great American town.

[Sam Roberts]

Right? And Logan Paul is a tag team champion. You know, he should be in Omaha. He should be on Monday night Raw, whatever city it's in. So, you know, they're able. And then, I mean, look, it's a little obnoxious that Joe Hendry's like, I'm gonna do a concert before my match. I've never seen a guy do a concert in trunks before.

[Megan Morant]

Warming up the vocal cords.

[Sam Roberts]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. I don't know. I don't know if that's all that necessary. But I mean, I guess if you're.

[Megan Morant]

If you're the talent show, but if

[Sam Roberts]

you're multi talented, I guess you want to show them all off.

[Megan Morant]

Yeah. You're new. You want to make an impression.

[Sam Roberts]

Do I have. Do I have time to sing a little before the match? They're like, yeah, I guess so. Yeah. I mean, what do you want to say? I was thinking the fire Logan Paul song again. Yeah, sure. Yeah.

[Megan Morant]

Yeah.

[Sam Roberts]

They loved it. They loved it.

[Megan Morant]

Michael Cole, very into it.

[Sam Roberts]

He said he's singing it in the shower.

[Megan Morant]

I didn't want that visual.

[Sam Roberts]

So gross when he want to think about that. Disgusting. No, it really is gross. But of course, Logan Paul gets involved in the match now. Logan Paul and Austin theory using the numbers advantage. Here comes the street profits. They did indeed want the Smoke. They jump in the ring to try to break things up. Street profits are now taking care of Austin Theory and Logan Paul. Here comes Seth Rollins. Oh, no, no. Here comes Breaker first. Bron Breaker single handedly takes out the street profits. Just an absolute animal. But that's where the ambush comes in, where Rollins is able to grab the ankle and pull Braun Breaker out and start. I mean, he starts to beat him down, but with all the chaos and all the bodies around there.

[Megan Morant]

Well, and I love that Seth came out too, because backstage earlier in the night, Jackie Redmond caught up with him and he was like, I'm not dead yet.

[Sam Roberts]

I know. And it was. Yeah, it was the type of conversation where it's like, you really still doing this, dude?

[Megan Morant]

Yeah.

[Sam Roberts]

And he goes, no, I'm breathing. That's the problem. You left air in my lungs.

[Megan Morant]

Yeah. And Paul Heyman had gone backstage when he was talking to the whole Vision, trying to tell Logan Paul, hey, listen, you cannot put your hands on Joe Hendry tonight because you will end up in jail. Braun, why are you even talking? Because Seth Rollins is still breathing, right? He's still breathing.

[Sam Roberts]

He's a threat and he's right again. But no, he's listening to him. Nobody's listening to poor Paul Heyman. He's sitting there trying to get his men in line. He's got no spot. However, once again, regardless of whether there was an ambush or not, Rollins ends up on the receiving end of a beating from Braun Breaker, he got distracted

[Megan Morant]

by the street profits and everything that was going on outside of the ring. Yeah, he had Bron Breaker perfectly lined up for the stomp. Distraction turns his head for a moment. Spear.

[Sam Roberts]

Should have known better. Should have known better. What's that? What do you mean, distracted? Who are you? You know, this is the moment. Take it. And I mean, I think it's going to be different at Backlash. You would think that there won't be all those people around, but also it's the Vision. I bet Paul Heyman will be at ringside. Who knows where Theory and Logan Paul are? I mean, Seth Rollins told the street profits afterwards, just stay out of my business and I'll say out of yours. But it's all, it's everybody's business. It's all vision business.

[Megan Morant]

Yeah, the street profits want those championships.

[Sam Roberts]

Yeah. So, I mean, we'll, we'll see what happens with, with, with Seth Rollins and the Vision and Braun Breaker. I mean, it's, it's, it's going to be. Braun Breaker is on a different level at the Moment where it's just like every time he hits the ring. And this is one of those things that they talk about, Right. They talk about the fact that. That sometimes coming back from an injury, you take more precautions. You know what I mean? Like, you're not quite the same.

[Megan Morant]

Yeah. A little hesitant because you're.

[Sam Roberts]

You're like, okay, these things can happen. It just happened.

[Megan Morant]

It's like, realize you're not invincible.

[Sam Roberts]

Look, when you get into a car accident, you're driving carefully, right. When you get back behind the wheel. Not Bron Breaker. No, no. He's balls to the wall reckless. I mean, just completely. Every bit of intensity, the veins popping in his neck, just every single time. There's no. Okay, let me save a little bit for later, you know what I mean? Everything is dialed up to 11, and that's just the space that he operates at. And that can be very, very effective. But when you have somebody like Rollins who, if there's air in his lungs, he's going to keep fighting, he's a threat. How do you stay that intense for a long enough period of time to actually put Seth Rollins down?

[Commercial Announcer]

Yeah.

[Megan Morant]

And deal with the psychological warfare of Rollins. Yes.

[Sam Roberts]

Yeah. But I think Bron Breakker is impervious to psychological warfare. I'm starting to think that he may not be affected by mind games just because there's there. I mean, look, you can't trick a brick wall into letting you get through it.

[Megan Morant]

That's a good point.

[Sam Roberts]

You know what I'm saying? That's not to say anything about Braum Breaker's, you know, mental fortitude. That's to say Braun Breaker is so strong and so fast that you could play whatever game of chess you want. He's kicking the board over.

[Megan Morant]

It's true.

[Sam Roberts]

You know, and then what are you going to do? Pick up your rook? Yeah, like that's. That's where Brom Breaker is coming from. So, you know, but I said the same thing about kicking the chessboard over when it came to Roman Reigns and Jacob Fatu. So when Roman and Jacob finally do make it out at the end of the show, after Roman has been cold chilling in that arena all night long,

[Megan Morant]

you think he was pacing back and forth?

[Sam Roberts]

Oh, I saw him that way at the couch. He was screaming at Adam Pierce is what he was doing. He was pissed for two hours at him. Every minute that he sat there on that couch waiting, he was taking it out on Adam Pearce.

[Megan Morant]

It was a tough night for Pierce.

[Sam Roberts]

Listen, it was a tough night. We'll get into all of that. I know, you know, we will.

[Megan Morant]

We have to.

[Sam Roberts]

But once he got out there and it's. And it's really interesting because Roman was in this space where the respect was assumed, where it's like, you just go, hey, I'm here to be acknowledged. And everybody goes, of course we're gonna acknowledge you. You're Roman Reigns after everything.

[Megan Morant]

Acknowledge you on a Monday night Raw.

[Sam Roberts]

Would you allow us to. And the cousins are like, of course, you're the tribal chief. You're Roman Reigns. And Jacob is sitting there going, nah, it ain't that.

[Megan Morant]

Let me keep it 100, right?

[Sam Roberts]

And you're like, oh, gee now. And now Roman. And you heard him, he's back in that position where he feels disrespected. And that's the thing about Roman, man. You could talk about mind games, you could talk about being in control, you could talk about the systems that he has in place, but the minute that he starts to feel disrespected, it's a rap, dude. It is a rap. And I want to talk about that. But first, before we get back to Raw, what I really want to talk about is the main event happening in your own home. Okay, look, life is basically Wrestlemania every single day. It's true, okay? A high stakes gauntlet where the responsibilities just keep coming. It feels like you're constantly making trade offs between the things you have to do and the things you actually love. That's why we're celebrating those moments where you refuse to tap out. It's time for the minute made juice break where we highlight those everyday wins that deserve a massive pop. And I'll tell you, this is a personal story, but I'll tell you, you know, we were, well, we were celebrating my father's birthday.

[Megan Morant]

Oh, so nice.

[Sam Roberts]

The patriarch of the family.

[Megan Morant]

Oh, great.

[Sam Roberts]

And you know, my mom made all the. I mean, she's this baker. My mother is. You wouldn't believe it. And she lays out this whole plate of cupcakes, right? And. And you know, I've been trying to eat a little better, you know what I mean? I've been trying to keep myself in shape, but of course I'm sitting there going like, I gotta have a cupcake. Mom made cupcakes. So I ate one.

[Megan Morant]

It'd be disrespectful if you didn't.

[Sam Roberts]

It would be. It's so good, so incredibly good. And I said, I still got an appetite. A cupcake, you know what I mean? And there's another one sitting right there on the plate. And I said, Every part of me would love to eat that second cupcake. But you know what I did? I said, I'm not gonna tap out on me trying to get things in shape. I'm not gonna tap out on this idea that I'm trying to be a little bit more responsible. I had a little something for the sweet tooth and I. And I'm not doing it. So, you know, and I considered it. I considered it a win. I went to bed at night and I said, you know what? The old me would have had the second cupcake, but this one just had the one. So I. I considered that as big of you. I consider that a way. You know, it was tough, but. But between me and the cupcake. Second cupcake. I'm the one that got the three count.

[Megan Morant]

That's good. Yeah, that's good. Cuz beach season is right around the corner too.

[Sam Roberts]

Right, Right. You know what I mean? I gotta look good.

[Megan Morant]

You do good for my w. You know, it's. I feel that. And for me it was a little bit different. But also, you know, this weekend I was. I was out feeding the homeless, as one does. And it was warm out this weekend. I don't know if you spent some time outside, but you were feeding the homeless. I was, okay. Small sacrifice of a little bit of time, you know, that I could spend watching wrestling. I could spend training for the Olympic trials, donating kidneys. There was a number of them. Was at the soup kitchen. Put a hairnet on and everything you did had to.

[Sam Roberts]

Okay.

[Megan Morant]

Can't let these luscious locks interfere with the food that I'm feeding the homeless with. But anyways, it was just a, you know, on a beautiful day out there this past weekend, small trade off. Had to spend the time inside of the soup kitchen. But just the smiles on people's faces was really the nice win. And it's all about finding that moment for yourself in the middle of the chaos where you serve others.

[Sam Roberts]

That's not in the spirit of what we're talking about. I didn't. It's a. I said a second cupcake. Minute Maid in WWE are tag teaming your daily grind, bringing main event energy to life's everyday matches. Together, we're. We're turning the toughest rounds into moments worth cheering for.

[Megan Morant]

From the ring to real life, Minute Maid and WWE are here to help you. Bring the juice. When the day tries to tap you out.

[Sam Roberts]

Never tap out. Bring the juice. Okay, whatever.

[Megan Morant]

I'm excited for beach season.

[Sam Roberts]

I'll be at the soup kitchen. I won't be at the beach. Order for Jennifer C. Is this my

[Commercial Announcer]

double shot, Double cream, double froth, double pump, double whip, double sleeve?

[Megan Morant]

Uh, yeah. Can you handle that much caffeine?

[Commercial Announcer]

Did you know Discover automatically doubles all the cash back you've earned at the end of your first year? Oh, really? That's great.

[Megan Morant]

Seriously.

[Commercial Announcer]

Did you know Discover automatically doubles all the cash back you've earned at the end of your first year? Yeah.

[Sam Roberts]

You just said that.

[Commercial Announcer]

Did you say I just said that?

[Sam Roberts]

Yeah. I'm cutting you off.

[Commercial Announcer]

I can't have any more. Why not?

[Sam Roberts]

You earn. We match. Discover cashback match. See [e-mail] credit card but Roman Reigns. Roman Reigns comes. I've done that before, by the way. I have. It wasn't this weekend, but I did it before. I just didn't. I didn't bring it up. Roman Reigns is out there as Jacob Fatu hits the ring. And I mean, Jacob Fatu's in all his glory, you know, And Roman Reigns is talking to him about the disrespect. Romans says, there is respect to be had for me in this business. And Jacob Fatu is talking about what he looks to gain to put his family in the right spot. And Roman Reigns is explaining to him, you're talking about your seven kids. I'm talking about 107 kids. He's talking about higher education. I'm talking about generations of higher education. Roman Reigns is sitting here trying to set up. And this is why Roman gets so frustrated. And I get it. Roman Reigns has a bigger vision of setting things up for his entire family for generations to come. And every time he tries to do this, somebody shows up thinking that he's just in it for himself and that that person who shows up wants what Roman is getting based on the idea that it's just for Roman. And that's where Jacob Fatu finds himself, who looks at Roman and says his plan is not just to take the championship, but to then, once he's champion, squeeze every dollar and every century out of this company, the same way they've done to his family for years.

[Megan Morant]

And you audibly gasped when he said that.

[Sam Roberts]

Because anybody who knows the history of that Samoan family in the professional wrestling industry, they all were massive stars. They all made a huge impact. They all carried their weight in the wwe. They didn't all end up like Roman Reigns, financially speaking. They didn't all end up in a position where they could set everybody up. A lot of them, at the end of the day, had very little to show for it. And that's What Jacob sees, Roman is trying to change that for generations.

[Megan Morant]

Yeah. Roman said that he's the one who's holding the door open.

[Sam Roberts]

And, I mean, I would argue that that's 100% true.

[Megan Morant]

He held the door open for Zola.

[Sam Roberts]

I would argue that that's 100% true.

[Megan Morant]

Who held the door open for Jacob?

[Sam Roberts]

So if he brought you in, then I brought you in, and I was like, yeah, dude, yeah. But here's the thing. Jacob doesn't care who brought him in.

[Megan Morant]

He's here now. He's here now, and he's taking it.

[Sam Roberts]

And as far as Jacob's concerned, I brought me in. I think Jacob brought up solo. Sure. But that's only to say that Roman didn't do it, that solo's the one who did it. But I think if you asked Jacob, how'd you get into the position that you're in? He would tell you, because I got me into the position that I'm in. And if you.

[Megan Morant]

If I can keep it 100 with

[Sam Roberts]

you, that's what he would say. That sounds like him. I thought I was.

[Big E]

I thought.

[Sam Roberts]

I thought I was hanging out with Uz again.

[Megan Morant]

You wish.

[Sam Roberts]

I wish. Yeah. But yeah, I mean. I mean, that's. That's. That's. That's what it is, right? The Jacob's like, no, no, no, no, no, no. I don't. I'm not thinking about generations and generations and generations right now. I'm trying to get me and my family right.

[Megan Morant]

I'm desperate to do anything for my household.

[Sam Roberts]

I love that. Because Roman said he brought up the Tongan death grip. The Tongan death grip. Michael Cole had described it earlier in the night. Where you. Where you like, squeeze where the Adam's apple is.

[Megan Morant]

Yeah.

[Sam Roberts]

And I mean, this is a move perfected by Haku, who is, I mean, notoriously one of, if not the toughest wrestler to lace a pair of boots, and he didn't even wear boots. He wrestled in bare feet. Everybody who talks about Haku has legendary stories about how absolutely insanely real life tough this guy was, and probably still is to this day. I wouldn't mess with him. But Roman talks about that Tongan death grip and how that's. That. That's a move that's reserved for 3am at a bar when it's eight against one.

[Megan Morant]

Not for your family.

[Sam Roberts]

Not for your family. And that's when Jacob pointed out, he was like, I hear you. And Roman called him little cuz. Little cousin. Little cousin. That's not. Jacob doesn't want to Hear that?

[Megan Morant]

Especially after last week what he did to Roman Reigns.

[Sam Roberts]

Right.

[Megan Morant]

You're gonna call me little cuz I'll

[Sam Roberts]

leave you gasping for air again. And, and. And Jacob explaining. I know exactly what that move is. I know what the implications are. I know what it means. I did it on purpose. I did it for a reason. I did it because I am that desperate because it is 3am and I am eight against one. And really, the way Roman paints it. Listen, whose side of the Usos on Roman reigns side? Is Roman Reigns on Jacob's side?

[Megan Morant]

No.

[Sam Roberts]

Is Solo Siko on Jacob's side? No, no, no, no. He said Jacob's a dead man on smackdown. Is. Is Talatonga Tama Tonga? These are. They're on Solo's side. Jacob is looking at two fractions of this family, and instead of going like I'm leaning on one side or the other, he's got them all coming at him.

[Megan Morant]

Yeah, he's got Sola and Tala and he's got the Usos and Roman.

[Sam Roberts]

Absolutely.

[Megan Morant]

And the Usos and Roman are not on the same side as Solo and

[Sam Roberts]

Ta and Tala and Tama Tonga.

[Megan Morant]

Yes.

[Sam Roberts]

I mean, there's tension between him and Solo, but I'm. They're still on the same side. He still, you know, a week ago on smackdown, Jacob still had to take out Tama. So, I mean, you've got all aspects of this family coming at you. And that's where Jacob is right now,

[Megan Morant]

because so he's like, it is 3am in the bar.

[Sam Roberts]

Right. And you got what I need.

[Megan Morant]

And I know you all are my family.

[Sam Roberts]

That's right.

[Megan Morant]

But I'm desperate.

[Sam Roberts]

I'm desperate. And that's when it breaks down. Jacob goes right for that Tongan death grip again. Roman fights it off. Goes for it again. Roman fights it off. When he finally kicked it in, I thought Adam Pearce was going to get punched in the face again. I said, get out of between the two of these two. Roman goes up for that Superman punch. Jacob catches him. And in this moment here, I'm so glad you guys got this picture. If you're watching on the YouTube version, this is exactly what I was thinking of because there was in this moment, at the very end of the show when he has Roman locked in on this Tonkin death grip, you can see that Roman knows that it's locked in. You can almost feel the life escaping out of Roman Reigns body through his eyes. He's looking at Adam Pearce going, you have to do something here. And this is not a solo sikoa. I mean, this is not a Jacob Fatu that sneak attacking people. This is the same Jacob Fatu that you're gonna get at Backlash.

[Megan Morant]

He's doing it while looking at his cousin in the eyes.

[Sam Roberts]

He's doing it while looking up in the sky at his cousin who's about to Superman punch him. Ah, Tongan death grip. And that's when Roman is looking at Adam Pearce going, you gotta do something about this. This is not what I expected. This is not what I'm here for. Jacob is bringing every ounce that one could bring to Roman Reigns, and it is beyond compelling to me.

[Megan Morant]

I mean, if this is what he's bringing during the contract signing is this is what he brought last week. Jacob has proved that he's not afraid to go there. This is what desperate times call for, desperate measures.

[Sam Roberts]

Absolutely. That's why they say it.

[Megan Morant]

And Jacob is looking to take everything that Roman has.

[Sam Roberts]

I mean, look, he put it. He. He. He slams him down on the table, he leaves him laying. He's the one once again, two weeks in a row, standing over Roman Reigns. Very interesting to me that there were no USOs in that ring. Makes me wonder what this main event is going to look like at Backlash. Is this going to be a larger bloodline affair or is this going to be more like Wrestlemania where Roman is handling his business by himself?

[Megan Morant]

I hope it's the latter.

[Sam Roberts]

Well, he said, I mean, clearly things are different with the USO's. They're on Roman's side. But Roman says, you know, no, this isn't about. We're not. They're not doing business the way they were doing it before. The systems that Roman has in place are not the same systems that he had before. This is a different Roman Reigns. But neither version of Roman Reigns, the old one or this one ever really had to deal with this Jacob Fatu because that desperation is kicking in and you can feel it. And whether that happens from being locked up, whether that happens from spending 12 years on the. On the independents, and look, Roman brought up the fact that he did have to fight. He did have to fight for everything that he had in the WWE, and he was in the WWE for more than 12 years. But it's a little different when you're fighting. When you are fighting for the top spot in the wwe, you're not worried about food being on the table. You're still, you know, the bills are still paid. While you're fighting for the top spot. Jacob was starting with figuring out how to get the bills paid because how to get food on the table because he went from EBT to wwe. It's a different deal.

[Megan Morant]

It is.

[Sam Roberts]

It's a different deal. And I'm interested to see how it all plays out. By the way, you never know, Megan, when the Viper is going to strike. So you got to make sure that you're always ready to show your support with Randy Orton's newest T shirt. Rko everybody. You can get yours now at WWE Shop and Fanatics. And while you're there, bow before it says in the copy the self proclaimed but I'm taking it out the King of the Luchadors show that you feel Dominic Mysterio should be sitting on the throne of sports entertainment by snagging his newest tee available now at WWE Shop and Fanatics. What a gorgeous T shirt that is. What an incredible T shirt that is. Get it right now. Now, to help us break down even more from what happened on Monday Night Raw, we have a special guest I'd like to bring in now to the Raw recap. Of course, the one and the only Big E is here to help us break it all down. What's going on E?

[Big E]

Not too much, not too much. Excited to talk some Monday night RA

[Sam Roberts]

well, this is, this is. You're. I'm glad you're here because Megan's gonna be real difficult to deal with in this segment. I can feel it because we had a big. We were just talking about the contract signing between Roman Reigns and Jacob Fetu, but we had another contract signing tonight. Live on Monday Night Raw, Sol Ruka officially signs with the Monday Night Raw brand. Now, before we get into the absurd chicanery that existed within this segment, are we excited to see Sol Ruka on Raw?

[Big E]

E, my God, absolutely. This woman is so electric. Her offense is so unique. She is just one of what just honestly, as far as eye catching Superstars, one of my favorite. Honestly, I'm gonna save all time. She is a joy to watch. She is so unique and different. I love just the way she carries herself. I think is different from the rest of the roster. I think she's gonna make a big splash in WWE and I think, you know, her starting off with Becky was not what I expected but it's such, it's gonna be such a fun feud. So I am really, really excited to see where this goes. And also on the Becky lynch of it, I, I kind of love this role that Becky's been in as of late. The new women, the, the talented women coming in, like her stuff with Lyra, I thought, really elevated Lyra. And I expect the same with this feud with. With Soul as well.

[Sam Roberts]

Some people think that, like, she goes, oh, there's a big buzzed about Superstar. Let me try to steal a bunch of this spotlight they're calling her. Anybody has been saying that spotlight stealing Becky lynch is what a lot of people I saw on Twitter.

[Megan Morant]

No, I. I only heard one person say that. Who was Michael Coleslaw.

[Sam Roberts]

Why do they call him that?

[Megan Morant]

Nobody likes coleslaw.

[Big E]

Oh, wow.

[Sam Roberts]

Wow.

[Megan Morant]

It's true, though. Nobody likes coleslaw.

[Sam Roberts]

It's true about nobody like a coleslaw.

[Megan Morant]

That's not even spotlight stealing Becky.

[Sam Roberts]

You don't think so?

[Megan Morant]

Doesn't even really roll off the tongue with like, spotlight stealing soul.

[Sam Roberts]

Boom.

[Megan Morant]

Rolls off the tongue with that soul

[Sam Roberts]

spotlight to begin with. What was.

[Megan Morant]

I'm just saying spotlight stealing Becky doesn't roll off spotlight stealing Sam. There we go.

[Sam Roberts]

I couldn't steal a spotlight if I tried, but. But yes, I'm actually with you. I was surprised when. When Becky's music hits and she comes out claiming that this time was reserved for her championship winning celebration, which would be, I mean, I guess. I mean, you've been a champion before. If there was time reserved for you to have a celebration of your title and yet somebody else is using that time to announce that they're a new signee, you would probably be unhappy about it, I suppose. Sure.

[Big E]

But I. I don't want to upset you, Megan, but I don't know if I believe every word that came out of Becky Lynch's mouth. All right. I think we were here for Soul. We were excited for Soul. The contract signing was, I believe, was teased not just tonight. We knew this was coming last week.

[Sam Roberts]

Yeah.

[Big E]

Yes, it was last week, I believe. So we got seven. Thank you for confirming that. But yes. So I can understand if Becky was upset, but for some reason, I doubt her story veracity. It's a little off for me.

[Megan Morant]

Or maybe if the locker room leader that Becky lynch is and is known to be just coming out to. To give a warm welcome to a young new upstart in wwe.

[Sam Roberts]

Well, she clearly did not say she was doing that. She clearly said she was coming out to celebrate her title win and was taking umbrage with the fact that, well,

[Megan Morant]

she is the greatest intercontinental champion of all time.

[Sam Roberts]

I mean, I don't know about all that, but regardless, it wouldn't matter if you're the greatest. Even if she were the greatest intercontinental champion of all time, I don't see how you could Just decide, I would like to have this segment for myself. You know, there's something else already happening. And then she comes out and she, and she. What she made, she starts, you know, yelling about Sol Ruka and she shouldn't be here and everything. What did you feel about Soul Ruka calling Becky Lynch a rude, big headed and wow, and then said the B word?

[Megan Morant]

You know, it's just kids these days, they don't respect greatness.

[Sam Roberts]

Kids these. Oh, ever since you had a kid, you changed.

[Megan Morant]

I mean, you think about it.

[Sam Roberts]

Megan went full boomer after she had a baby.

[Megan Morant]

You think about it and all that Becky lynch has accomplished. Night one on Raw or night two. I mean, night one, she stepped up to Liv Morgan. Night two when she's signing her contract, she just decides to throw the B word around to a legend. I mean, I don't think that is exactly the best way to make a first impression when you're dealing with history makers in this industry. But I don't know.

[Sam Roberts]

You're right.

[Megan Morant]

I'm not a history maker in this industry. Big E, you have experience doing that. Is this the way to step up to one of the locker room leaders?

[Sam Roberts]

Waist keeps it. Locker room leader.

[Big E]

Well, here's the thing. Would you like to see Soul come in and bow and say, I'm so sorry, Becky, I'll leave now? Is that someone you can get behind as a fan? Is that someone that you're excited to see? No. You want to see Soul assert herself, assert her position. She is here not just to. To get along, to shake hands, to. To bow in the presence of greatness. If she wants to be great, she's got to challenge the greatest. And Becky is as great as she claims to be. She's as great as you, Megan. You claim to be. You claim her to be every single week. But I think for, you know, Ric Flair famously said to. To be the man, you gotta beat the man. And that's what Soul's trying to do. She is trying to beat the man.

[Sam Roberts]

No. And Megan, by Megan's logic, she would have preferred if John Cena had come out in 2002 on Smackdown. And when Kurt Angle said, who do you think you are? John Cena had said no. Good point, Kurt. I better head to the back. You're an Olympic hero.

[Big E]

I'll let you star.

[Sam Roberts]

I'll let you have your time.

[Megan Morant]

Kids these days.

[Sam Roberts]

You're right. The last thing you want out of a wrestler is aggression and wanting to go for it. That's why I would like people to

[Megan Morant]

show respect no, you're right.

[Sam Roberts]

Obafemi has gone absolutely nowhere because he's just too aggressive.

[Megan Morant]

Nowhere.

[Sam Roberts]

He's too aggressive.

[Megan Morant]

That's right.

[Sam Roberts]

Yeah.

[Big E]

Yeah.

[Sam Roberts]

Do you worry at all? I mean, you know, Becky got so flustered that in this melee of sorts, also Ruka had to do is step aside and Becky lynch punched Adam Pierce in the face.

[Megan Morant]

It was a tough night for Adam Pierce. It was a tough night, but, you know, there's been a lot of corruption in WWE that he hasn't exactly handled in. In the best way. I mean, your guy fell victim to some of that corruption tonight.

[Sam Roberts]

Dominic Mysterio.

[Megan Morant]

Don't get me started. Yeah, I know. With.

[Sam Roberts]

With the.

[Megan Morant]

The corruption with Jessica Carr. Corrupt Carr.

[Sam Roberts]

Right.

[Megan Morant]

So, you know, Adam Pearce has had his back against the wall. I mean, I was just watching a video on social media. Becky was explaining that, you know, she, she didn't mean to, to, to, to. She just sometimes underestimates her strength, and that's tough. You know, I mean, I can't personally imagine, but it's like for you, you're

[Sam Roberts]

like, you think you're just going to the grocery store. You don't realize you're running very fast.

[Megan Morant]

That's right.

[Sam Roberts]

Because you underestimate your speed.

[Megan Morant]

I was like, oh, that one was.

[Sam Roberts]

Yeah.

[Megan Morant]

557.

[Sam Roberts]

I guess I qualify for the Olympic trials.

[Big E]

Look at me.

[Megan Morant]

Oh, look at that.

[Sam Roberts]

Yeah, I know. I get that.

[Megan Morant]

Yeah. I mean, I can't imagine it with the strength, but that's tough, right?

[Sam Roberts]

So you're see the plight of Becky lynch, who wasn't even invited to be a part of the segment. She could have just not come out and everything would have been fine.

[Megan Morant]

I would have missed her.

[Sam Roberts]

Okay, okay, I understand. What about the fact that she ate a Soul Snatcher? I mean, she left. I mean, at the end of that segment, she was laid out flat face first.

[Megan Morant]

Look, the Soul Snatcher is a cool move, all right?

[Sam Roberts]

Whoa.

[Megan Morant]

It's a cool move.

[Sam Roberts]

Even when Becky's on the receiving end of it.

[Megan Morant]

Not as cool.

[Sam Roberts]

Would you say that was the least cool Soul Snatcher that you've seen?

[Megan Morant]

Yeah.

[Sam Roberts]

Okay.

[Megan Morant]

Okay.

[Sam Roberts]

Yeah.

[Megan Morant]

Yes. I. Yeah.

[Sam Roberts]

E. Were you okay with it?

[Big E]

I was more than okay with it. That is how you make a statement. Yes. And honestly, one of the most electric, entertaining finishers in all of wwe. That's how you make a statement. So I'm excited for people. I feel like our fan base is already getting used to soul, and I think the more you get to see soul and her athleticism and the Things she can do in the ring. She's going to win over fans across the country, across the globe every single week.

[Sam Roberts]

And I also think, to your point, e and Becky's involvement in this, the idea of a story surrounding Sol Ruka and Becky lynch, it's going to give Soul the opportunity to show the audience what she does beyond cool moves. You're going to have Becky in your face talking to you. There's going to be a war of words. You're going to have to show wit, you're going to have to show personality. And I mean, look, Becky is, for all of her flaws, a very, very strong force both in the ring and on the microphone. And that's the force that you have to kind of measure up to when you're in there. And I think that if you're. If you're good enough, and I think Saul is. It gives you the opportunity to show the audience all sides of yourself.

[Megan Morant]

I mean, Sam, you and I sat down with Sol Ruka the Raw after Wrestlemania, and that was when she stepped up to Liv Morgan, and it was like, from a fan reaction standpoint, as soon as she walked out, the entire crowd in Las Vegas responded to Sol Ruka. She grabs the microphone, she cuts a promo on Liv Morgan. Just completely nailed it.

[Sam Roberts]

Yeah.

[Megan Morant]

And then she has this incredible match that ultimately Zaria got involved with, but it was just like, check, check and check.

[Sam Roberts]

Yeah, yeah, she's it. Although I. I will say that on that weekend, we did get the opportunity to interview both. Both Saul Ruka and Becky Lynch a couple days before. And Saul, I mean, it was just such a much more pleasant conversation. Becky is just. I mean, she's just nasty, you know, I. Not pleasant.

[Megan Morant]

I had a great time talking about.

[Sam Roberts]

You did?

[Megan Morant]

Yeah. Okay.

[Sam Roberts]

All right. Well, I guess we differ in that opinion. I think that the three of us can all agree on one thing. This Obafeme open challenge rules. Like, this is awesome. The idea that, like, at first I was, look, I'm gonna be 100 honest.

[Megan Morant]

You gotta keep it 100 with us.

[Sam Roberts]

I will. In honor of Jacob Fatu, I'm gonna. I wasn't looking forward to Tozawa being in there. God bless Tozawa and I love the power of Tozawa. But, like, I don't need to see Obafemi throwing Tozawa around the ring. I already know Obafemi can throw Tozawa around the ring. Like, I feel like we're past that with Obafemi. Like, I. I was really looking forward to this open challenge being about, like, showing Obafemi in the ring with, with, with different types of, of, of wrestlers and how he takes on this onslaught and that onslaught and why he's not, you know, people, you know, God bless Goldberg. But like, and people will compare Obafemi and Goldberg because of that streak, because of how hot Goldberg got so quick, because of how much he resonated with fans. But Goldberg's matches, by design, all look the same. And that was. Worked for Goldberg and that was great for Goldberg. I don't think that's Oba. I don't think people realize how skilled and varied Oba Femi is. And that's what I was really looking forward to with the beginning of the Obafemi open challenge. So the idea that it ends up being Otis, I go, okay, now we're talking. And man, I swear, when he put Otis up on that second rope, I thought even Oba, I said, okay, that'll get. That'd be a great opportunity for him to just kind of scoop and then allow momentum to go down into the finish. You know, just allow momentum to hit the fall from grace. Dude, when he is holding Otis up and starts walking forward to the center of the ring and you could just tell in his body and his confidence, he realizes that he has it and then just nails it. I mean, what a sight.

[Big E]

He is one of those wrestlers that feels like he's made from a lab, like truly. And that's a lot of Otis grundle to have in your face too. That's a lot of undercarriage. You know, this is, this is why

[Sam Roberts]

it's good to have your perspective on here. Because I've never, I've never had to deal with that kind of grundle before. I just sit here and talk about it. So the idea that you would, you would know, like, you know, it's a lot.

[Big E]

I feel like it has a whole lot of undercarriage, but no, you're right. And also, let's not forget maybe one that might be the greatest running uppercut I've ever seen in a WWE ring. I'm telling you, it is not just this man's strength, it is his speed, his agility. Like, this man moves like guys who are 200 pounds lighter than he is. It is truly incredible. It's mind blowing the things that he can do, but what an incredible performance. And I felt much the same. I also, let's leave the Goldberg's glander aside. Goldberg catching strays for no real reason. I would address that, but I will say, man, I also didn't want to see Tozawa be killed either. I love me some Tozawa. I wish we got to see him in the ring more. But as soon as I saw Otis step forward, I said, oh, okay. I'm excited for this. And seeing those two, seeing what they did, man, I am telling you, Oba is just made of something different. I. I think him having the match at WrestleMania with Brock was so fitting in so many different ways is because I think we haven't really seen anything like this since oh 2. Since Brock first came in. And I also think that same, like, uncanny blend of strength, speed, athleticism, not just. He's not a big plotting dude by any means. The same way where we couldn't understand how Brock moved as fast as he did, how he was able to scoop guys up like they were 150 pounds lighter than they actually were. I see that in Oba. Even the pizza toss he did to Otis, no struggle at all. And Otis is truly one of the most dense human beings you will ever come across. You see a big guy, I'm telling you, it's not just puffy and soft. He, It's a ton of muscle. He is this dude trained at the Olympic grounds for wrestling. Trained with some of the best. Like, people see Otis and they say he's fun. This dude is legitimately one of the strongest human beings you will ever meet as well. And to see Oba just toy with him, truly, truly incredible. I hope we all. I know we understand how, how beloved Oba is, how much the crowd is behind him, but I hope we also understand you're not getting an athlete like this to come around very often. I hope we can understand this is, this is a. A different kind of unique and special. And I've been around some of the biggest, strongest men in the world like this. This guy is in his own tier.

[Sam Roberts]

He.

[Big E]

He really is. And, and I am. It. It feels like he is just scratching the surface for what he can do in wwe.

[Sam Roberts]

Yeah. And I think too, the thing that makes him different is from all of that is even with the Brock comparison, Brock was such a freak athlete that it was almost like the industry shifted around him. Oba has all those qualities, but still is. When he is cutting a promo, when he's doing an interview, when he's showing up in a suit and tie, he's got that face of the company. Energy like that to me is very scary when you're able to be an athlete on that level, strong on that level, like, like resonate on that level, like have all of that and then also be able to hold yourself up and communicate in this space where it's like that guy can also walk into any room and charm anyone that he wants to. I mean, it is you. You talk about lab grown. That's. That's what you've got.

[Big E]

No, absolutely. And even, man, even just that moment, I think what, what also makes him special is the way he's able to connect with the crowd. I think for someone who is so new into his main roster run is really impeccable because even just the moment where he, he's kind of pantomiming the pop up and he's looking at Otis and he's kind of even, even that, like, I love that you get to see him think out loud. Us as fans, we get to understand, oh, I'm not just going to run to the next move and get my business done and get out of here. I think that allows fans to feel even more connection to with him because you understand, not only is he a special athlete, but he's got this rare charisma as well. He's truly a one of one. I don't see him and think, oh, he's a cookie cutter version of this former superstar. Of that former superstar. I'm sure he is borrowed from a lot of the, the other greats before him. But even just that moment, I loved of kind of seeing that twinkle in his eye of trying to figure out, how am I going to slice this pie? How am I going to figure out how to get this man up in my power bomb. And, and like that moment too, just showed me he gets it on so many different levels. Like that time a few Mondays ago before WrestleMania, we saw him cut that incredible promo on Brock. We're like, oh, oh, he's not wilting in this moment. Oh, he's got it. He can cut a fire promo too. He there. You don't see any nerves. I, I really think of all the talent that's come up that we're excited about there. We, we could talk about so many of these superstars, but when you talk about someone who checks every box right now, that's Obafemi for me.

[Sam Roberts]

Yeah. Yeah. And I think too like that moment where he's like, you're. You're kind of following him as he's figuring out how to get Otis into the position that he needs to get him in. Now we're following along the story of this was an open challenge. He's unprepared for Otis. He has to sit there now and think, okay, how am I going to do this and we go along like, it's just, it's able to convey this story that we're all on board with.

[Megan Morant]

And in a weird way, like very, very, very few people can ever relate to the strength, power, athleticism, size, speed of someone like Obafemi. But in that moment when you watch him think this through, he almost becomes relatable. Cause it's like, how do you I solve this problem? That is the open challenge. That is this dense man of Otis. And then when he's able to solve it, we all rejoice with him, right?

[Sam Roberts]

It's not exactly Dominik Mysterio Charisma, but it's still great. It's still. The point is it's a compliment.

[Megan Morant]

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[Sam Roberts]

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[Megan Morant]

Oh, I had a question, our host replied.

[Sam Roberts]

Super quick Premier move.

[Megan Morant]

Wish I had a Premier group chat. They won't even write me back.

[Sam Roberts]

Book a top rated stay with a Premier host if you know you Virbo. And you know, since you brought him up. Speaking of Dominic Mysterio, big night for the Judgment Day, bro. However you want to get there. You could say we got there this way, we got there that way. JD McD pinned and defeated Finn Balor tonight. That is a massive win for Judgment Day. A massive win for JD McDonough.

[Megan Morant]

A big win for loyalty as well

[Sam Roberts]

within the Judgment Day. Yeah, that's right. A lot of haters we're running around talking about, oh, Judgment Day falling apart, blah blah blah. Roxanne Perez is on the good guys team again, letting the Judgment Day know, okay, you need me to hit somebody with a hammer, I'll hit somebody with a hammer. But J.D. mcDowell, I don't think anybody walked in. You could almost feel it in the audience. Like there was an expectation. Well, we're getting this rematch between JD McDonough and Finn Balor because it was so good the first time. But obviously Finn Balor's gonna win this match. No, no, no. JD McDonough walks out with the Dub. Big, big for JD.

[Big E]

Absolutely is. And, and I think, and I'm glad we're getting, we're putting some more respect on JD's name. Truly. He's one of those guys who, we see him backstage with the Judgment Day. We see him interfering often, but he's not really given the spotlight that often to be able to have singles matches. But man, like, let's put all the Judgment Day run ins and backstages and clubhouse, let's put all that aside and let's just talk about this man's ability. Truly one of our best in ring workers across the board. This guy can absolutely go. And he's also someone who just takes, I think he takes more risks than anyone else as well. I remember him nearly dying, hitting that announced table. But like, that hasn't stopped him that it Seemingly he's only up the ante on the risks as well. So we could talk a lot about the Judgment Day and how big this was for them and the group dynamics, but I just, I feel like we don't get to spend enough time actually talking about JD and his in ring ability. And he is a joy to watch as a, as a wrestler, worker to worker. He, he's, he's got it, man. He's just got it.

[Megan Morant]

I couldn't agree with you more, Biggie. And one of my favorite matches at WrestleMania actually was that, that ladder match and JD McDonough taking the Mexican Destroyer off the ladder. I mean, that was a highlight for me. And you talk about people doing insane things with their body. That's exactly what we see from JD each and every time he's in the ring.

[Sam Roberts]

Were you surprised to find out that Roxanne Perez is still on the Good Guys team?

[Megan Morant]

Yes, I figured, I was surprised.

[Sam Roberts]

I figured you'd be surprised.

[Megan Morant]

I was surprised because we all remember how Roxanne Perez was brought into the Judgment Day. There was a lot of conversations. I was going to say canoodling, but I think canoodling may be taking it a bit too far. So I'll say there were a lot of conversations between Roxanne Perez and Finn Balor. It seemed like there was established relationship there. There was the time where Roxanne Perez was presenting Dominic Mysterio with some Chicken nuggets when Liv Morgan wasn't there, and then obviously last week.

[Sam Roberts]

Nuggets or tendies?

[Megan Morant]

I think they were nuggets.

[Commercial Announcer]

Okay.

[Sam Roberts]

I just want to double check.

[Megan Morant]

I think they were nugs.

[Sam Roberts]

Because if so, that's not really Dom's preference.

[Megan Morant]

Okay. He likes the tendies.

[Sam Roberts]

He likes tendies.

[Megan Morant]

Okay.

[Sam Roberts]

Well, which he. Because he's an adult.

[Megan Morant]

Sure.

[Sam Roberts]

Nuggets are a little more of a kids thing, but still good. Still good.

[Megan Morant]

You'll take them?

[Sam Roberts]

I love nuggets. But like, tendies, that's kind of where it's at. Dip it in a little ranch.

[Megan Morant]

But then we see Liv Morgan calling out Roxanne Perez, and it's like, why am I figuring out what is happening in the Judgment Day clubhouse by watching Netflix?

[Sam Roberts]

She watches the product.

[Megan Morant]

She does. Very important to watch the product.

[Sam Roberts]

You have to watch the product. That's how you know what's going on in the Judgment Day. And she brings up a good point.

[Megan Morant]

She makes Roxanne Perez promise her that she's part of the family and that none of this. No more secrets, right? No more secrets. And when Roxanne Perez walked out to the ring by herself, she had a little bit of a weird look on her face.

[Sam Roberts]

You don't trust people.

[Megan Morant]

Did you trust her?

[Big E]

Of course.

[Sam Roberts]

It's Judgment Day. It's family.

[Megan Morant]

When she walked out there by herself without Liv Morgan, without Raquel Rodriguez, without Dominic Mysterio, you thought, oh, she's just.

[Sam Roberts]

I said the Judgment Day probably has another plan. I don't walk everywhere with my family, but we all end up in the same spot.

[Megan Morant]

I don't know. There was a different look in Roxanne Perez's eyes tonight.

[Sam Roberts]

Well, we found out that they are indeed family when she hit Finn Balor with a hammer. There's canoodling. That's.

[Megan Morant]

I said canoodling was taking a little bit too far. There were interactions.

[Sam Roberts]

Interactions, Interactions. Look, here's the thing. Yeah, Finn Balor brought Roxanne Perez into the Judgment Day, but the Judgment Day took Finn Balor out of the Judgment Day. So the question is, was Roxanne Perez a Finn Balor person or a Judgment Day person? You gotta be a Judgment Day person. This is one of the most incredible factions that's ever existed.

[Megan Morant]

You gotta sign with the winners, right?

[Sam Roberts]

Well, no, you sign with your family. That's a very pessimistic way of looking at things.

[Megan Morant]

Megan Biggie. Are you surprised?

[Big E]

No. Because.

[Sam Roberts]

Of course not. He's not angry.

[Big E]

I think Roxanne looks for her to leave the Judgment Day to turn on the Judgment Day. She's kind of outnumbered right now, even just with Raquel, with Liv. I. I saw. Obviously, we got to see her stand tall with the Judgment Day at the end, but I don't think this thing is over. I think in my mind, I think we might be seeing Roxanne waiting for the right moment to jump ship. I don't see someone who was happy, who is. Who is loving her time in the Judgment Day. But right now, you turn on the Judgment Day and you got. You got a lot of problems.

[Megan Morant]

Timing is every. You know.

[Big E]

It is. It absolutely is. And maybe if Finn gets some more help, maybe if there's. There are more allies for her to be in her corner, but I don't think right now is the right time. And I think her career. She's so, so talented, but I think her career has been buoyed by being in the Judgment. I think that's kind of.

[Sam Roberts]

That's.

[Big E]

That's really irrefutable. She really is definitely. She's improved her status, the ability to have title matches. Her place on the card is absolutely improved by being in the Judgment Day. But I also think she's a star who can stand on her own. But right now is not the right time because she'd have some hell to pay.

[Sam Roberts]

You think she could be Liv Morgan?

[Big E]

Absolutely.

[Commercial Announcer]

What?

[Big E]

I'm not saying she will, but she's. She's got the ability and talent. Absolutely. And who knows? Live better than Roxanne. She spent a lot of time around live. She knows her strengths. She knows her weaknesses, you know, beside Dominic aside, you know. Know what I'm saying? I mean, she's one of the few people that knows Liv Morgan really, really well. And when you have someone that close to you, they can be your greatest ally, but they can also be your biggest enemy.

[Sam Roberts]

Is that. Is there any possibility to that, too? It's like. Oh, like part of the Judgment Day. It's like we get to chill with Dominic. And it's like, if I were to leave the Judgment Day, I'm not really even. I'm not really going to be chilling with Dominic anymore. I'm probably not going to leave the Judgment Day. You think that that could be it? I don't know the locker rooms, like you do either. Right.

[Big E]

Right. I'm sure that's a. That is a massive factor. He is. He's a very charismatic man in his own way.

[Sam Roberts]

Super cool dude.

[Big E]

So. So having to say goodbye to that forever, I'm sure would be devastating.

[Sam Roberts]

Okay. All Right. So we are on the same page. That's what I thought. That's what I figured. Well, look, I mean, one more thing, one more thing. We. We should mention the fact that we got a very contentious face to face between Iyo and Asuka tonight.

[Megan Morant]

Yep.

[Sam Roberts]

That ended with Iyo getting misted, obviously Oscar taking umbrage, disappointed with. With who was once her mentee, while her once mentee is looking at Oscar going, I mean it's. I mean that's a classic story, right? The two of them wondering which one of them changed, you know, and seeing it from their perspective. And I mean, you know, that's what happens, I guess. Perspectives change. I don't think any of that's going to matter. You know, once they're in the ring. I think it's just simply going to be about who's the better wrestler on Saturday night.

[Big E]

Yeah. I mean, obviously they're bringing in a lot of baggage and a lot of history, but. But I think you're right. It is just truly going to be about who is the best in the ring. And my wife to be made a great point. She said, well, now EO is pregnant after she got misted. Now she's pregnant. And I. And I think that's how that works. Wow. Because we have. We have a long line of women who've been misted and stood toe to toe with Asuka. And then a baby comes soon.

[Sam Roberts]

Oh, wow.

[Big E]

Let's watch. Let's just keep an eye on that. It's just a theory, but I'm really excited about this match. I believe I haven't verified this, but I saw something online where someone said this is going to be the first time in a singles match the two Japanese wrestlers have gone, you know, face to face in a singles match. I haven't looked it up, but I know if I don't recall a time, but I'm excited about that. And these two, I think, are going to absolutely kill it. Oscar is someone who has just not lost a step at all. We've seen her a lot in backstages, in tag team matches, but we haven't seen her in a ton of singles matches. But when we do as of late, my God, the way this woman is truly timeless, truly one of the most slept on, most underrated talent we have. And which is crazy to say because she is a legend. She owes. She is EO's senpai. She is someone who I think has really shaped wrestling, not just in Japan, women's wrestling in particular, but has also shaped it in wwe. And in the United States, she is just someone who I think has it. And. And seeing her focus, seeing how locked in she was during that sit down with Iyo, I hope EO has her mind right. I hope she's not worried about, you know, their. Their history. I hope she's focused because she's also truly one of our greatest performers. Male or female, does not matter. So I think these two are going to put on an absolute classic. But there is a ton of history. And Asuka has been a pioneer, she has been a mentor. But you have to put all that to the side. You can't think about someone's legacy, how much they mean to you. When that bell rings, that has to stay out there. Because Asuka is still incredibly dangerous. You have to worry about the mistake. You have to worry about that. That spinning back fist. Her offense is so crisp, comes out of nowhere, is so fast. So that's the Oscar that Iyo was going to have to deal with on Saturday.

[Sam Roberts]

And I get it. You know, when you mentor somebody and they. They just end up, you know, disappointing you. It can be really, really tough. But you know, not. Not as tough as. As. As not being over. The excitement of WrestleMania. And Fanatics Casino has a way for you to harness that action no matter where you are. WrestleMania Road to Gold is the most star studded casino game ever and is the latest in the series of WWE themed games exclusively available at Fanatics Casino. The exclusive game features 20 WWE stars from the WrestleMania 42 stage like Liv Morgan, Drew McIntyre, Randy Orton, Rhea Ripley, Cody Rhodes and many more. To top it off, the bonus pack game is voiced by the iconic man himself, Michael Cole. Play WrestleMania Road to Gold and five other WWE casino games anytime you please. Only at Fanatics casino. Must be 21 or older. Gambling problem. Call 1-800-Gambler not available in all states. Terms apply. See Fanatics Casino app.

[Megan Morant]

Casino loves coleslaw.

[Sam Roberts]

They love coleslaw.

[Megan Morant]

Big coleslaw fans.

[Sam Roberts]

They said in the. In the booth they were like a lot of the producers like coleslaw. And I was like, yeah, that figures.

[Megan Morant]

Nobody likes coleslaw.

[Sam Roberts]

No, I know.

[Megan Morant]

Do you like coleslaw? Be honest.

[Big E]

I don't despise coleslaw.

[Sam Roberts]

Come on.

[Big E]

But you can take that off my plate at any moment. There's never been a time where I've yearned for coleslaw or Ms. Coleslaw. We don't need it.

[Sam Roberts]

I can't. I mean, I can't imagine, you know, you go to raising canes, you go, no slaw double Texas toast. Can you imagine somebody behind you going, like, can I have your coleslaw?

[Megan Morant]

Like, oh, what are we, double slaw, hold the toast?

[Sam Roberts]

Yeah.

[Megan Morant]

No. Are you a psycho?

[Sam Roberts]

No.

[Big E]

No.

[Sam Roberts]

Well, listen, we've got a lot to discuss when it comes to Backlash, so I say we meet again. The three of us break down this card later in the week. Biggie, it is always a pleasure chopping it up with you. Thank you for joining us here on the Raw recap for Megan Morant. I am Sam Roberts. Make sure you're subscribed. We will see you later this week for the Backlash preview show here on wwe. Now,

[Commercial Announcer]

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