Welcome to Wrestling Inc.’s results for “WWE Raw” on May 5, 2025, coming to you live from the CHI Health Center in Omaha, Nebraska!
Days before they face each other at WWE Backlash on Saturday, GUNTHER and Pat McAfee will be meeting with one another in the ring as “Raw” General Manager Adam Pearce oversees the proceedings. GUNTHER had blindsided McAfee with an attack on the April 21 edition of “Raw” after he had come to the aid of his broadcast partner Michael Cole, prompting Pearce to suspend the former World Heavyweight Champion for his actions. McAfee then called out GUNTHER during last week’s edition of “Raw” looking to receive a match against him, which was granted by Pearce’s temporary replacement “SmackDown” General Manager Nick Aldis.
After coming up short against Rhea Ripley last week, former NXT Women’s Champion Roxanne Perez will be returning to action tonight as she squares off with Women’s World Champion IYO SKY. Perez’s newfound ally Giulia interfered in her match against Ripley by delivering a chop block, subsequently causing SKY to come to her longtime rival Ripley’s aid in order to even the odds.
Penta looks to score a win as he goes head-to-head with JD McDonagh. Penta cost McDonagh and his Judgment Day stablemate Finn Balor a non-title match against The War Raiders last week when he pushed McDonagh off the top rope and allowed Erik and Ivar to hit their War Machine finishing maneuver on him.
Rusev will be competing in his first match in WWE since a tag team bout on the February 17, 2020 episode of “Raw” as he goes one-on-one with Alpha Academy member Otis. Rusev made his return to WWE on April 21, taking out Otis and his Alpha Academy stablemate Akira Tozawa in quick fashion after the latter two men had found themselves involved in an encounter with New Day.
Additionally, Seth Rollins, Bron Breakker, and Paul Heyman have something on their minds to share after unsuccessfully attempting to get Sami Zayn to take an offer to join the “SmackDown” brand last week before Breakker and Zayn took one another on in a match that ended in referee stoppage later that same night. Becky Lynch will also be appearing on tonight’s show as she prepares to challenge Lyra Valkyria for the Women’s Intercontinental Championship at Backlash and found herself involved in a verbal confrontation with her last week.
We are live! Michael Cole and Pat McAfee greet audiences at home as Jey Uso makes his way down to the ring.
Jey says he’s now in Omaha, then says he knows Logan Paul is also in Ohama and asks where he’s at.
Paul Heyman cuts Jey off, and he makes his way to the ring as he introduces himself. He says he doesn’t mean to disrespect Jey, and Jey says Heyman is very brave confronting him after he betrayed Roman Reigns. He says from Day One, he saw past Heyman and warned both Reigns and CM Punk. Heyman says Jey didn’t have to live through what he did when Punk put him in a position that guaranteed he would sabotage his relationship with Reigns. He says because he wanted Punk to overcome the adversity in his life, Reigns thought he would sell his secrets when he would never do that after building The Bloodline up for 5 years.
Heyman continues to get defensive and vents his anger about how he’s always the one at fault and being blamed for everything when he’s always put in positions to be the fall guy. Jey asks Heyman if he’s okay and done, then asks what this has to do with him. Heyman apologies to Jey and says that has nothing to do with him, and says he came to the ring to talk to Jey. He says Jey doesn’t understand power or control, then says while Jey wants to be World Heavyweight Champion, Seth Rollins has to be World Heavyweight Champion. He puts Jey on notice, and challenges Jey for his title on behalf of Rollins given that he pinned Reigns at WrestleMania 41 to beat him and Punk. He says Jey can pick the time and place of his choosing.
Heyman looks to leave, but Jey stops him and says he wants to defend his title against Rollins tonight.
Penta then makes his way out to the ring. JD McDonagh, Finn Balor, and Carlito follow.
The bell rings and the two lock up. They go back and forth with one another, but Penta and McDonagh exchange chops with one another. McDonagh levels Penta with a back elbow, but Penta rocks McDonagh with an enzuigiri on the apron. McDonagh responds with a Death Valley Driver to Penta on the apron.
McDonagh sends Penta crashing into the ring post and dumps him back inside the ring, then connects with a suplex and follows it up with a Spanish Fly. Carlito takes a cheap shot on Penta as McDonagh distracts the referee, and McDonagh then sits Penta on the top rope. He fires off right hands on his spine and joins him up there before he drapes Penta off the top rope by his knees and looks oto land a dropkick on him.
Penta moves out of the way and McDonagh is sent crashing into the ring post. Penta then connects with a Bronco Buster on McDonagh and goes for a pin, but McDonagh kicks out. Penta fires off forearms on McDonagh and hits a kick on his chest, then follows it up with a Sling Blade and fires off a chop on him. He delivers a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker and levels an interfering Carlito with an enzuigiri, then dumps McDonagh out of the ring and lands a crossbody off the top rope to take down Carlito and McDonagh on the outside.
Penta dumps McDonagh inside the ring and looks to join him, but Balor pulls him off the ring apron. The referee catches Balor and ejects both him and Carlito from ringside, but Chad Gable appears and grabs Penta’s ankle. Penta flies to level Gable on the outside, opening the door for McDonagh to set up for a moonsault off the top rope. Penta moves out of the way and connects with the Mexican Destroyer for the win.
Winner: Penta
Austin Theory and Grayson Waller then make their way down to the ring. Sheamus follows.
The bell rings and the two lock up. Sheamus delivers the Irish Curse Backbreaker to Theory, then cinches in the Cloverleaf on him. Theory crawls over to the bottom rope to break the fall, then flies off the ropes to level Theory on the outside.
Theory rains down right hands on Sheamus back inside the ring, then wears him down with a submission and hits an Airplane Spin on him. Theory ascends to the top rope, but Sheamus counters into a White Noise on Theory off the middle rope and follows it up with The Ten Beats of the Bodhran. He then delivers the Brogue Kick for the win.
Winner: Sheamus
Becky Lynch then makes her way out to the ring.
Lynch says she may have taken out Bayley, but everyone lost their minds when she returned at WrestleMania 41 as no one questioned where Bayley was. She says while people question her choice to take out Bayley, they don’t question someone who takes out garbage which is what Bayley is. Lynch then calls Lyra Valkyria recycling and says everything she has from her Women’s Intercontinental Championship to her fiance is because of her.
Lyra Valkyria’s music hits, and she makes her way to the ring. Valkyria says Lynch has been recycling for years and objects to Lynch taking credit for her success, then says while Lynch was on holidays, everyone got better and she made history of her own by becoming the first Women’s Intercontinental Champion in history. Lynch says she’s very good at her job and the greatest to ever do it in a professional ring as has been said by Sports Illustrated. Valkyria tells Lynch to continue listing off her achievements, but she can’t say she was the first Women’s Intercontinental Champion.
Valkyria and Lynch begin brawling with one another and things spill out of the ring, but officials run down to break the two women apart. Valkyria breaks free and connects with Night Wing on Lynch, then stands tall and holds up the Women’s Intercontinental Championship.
Roxanne Perez then makes her way out to the ring. IYO SKY follows.
The bell rings and the two lock up. Perez dropkicks SKY’s knee, then flies through the middle rope with a tope suicida to level SKY on the outside. SKY responds with one of her own, and the two fire off strikes on one another when they return inside the ring. Perez hits a Russian Leg Sweep on SKY, then sends SKY’s ankle bouncing off the ring post.
SKY and Perez teeter on the ropes, but SKY lands an arm drag on Perez off the middle rope and follows it up with a missile dropkick off the top rope. SKY lands a German suplex on Perez, but Perez responds with a back suplex and ascends to the top rope. She sets up for the Over The Moonsault, but Perez rolls out of the way and sends SKY crashing into the mat. Perez rolls up SKY, but SKY reverses the fall for the win.
Winner: IYO SKY
After the match, Perez shakes SKY’s hand as a sign of respect. Giulia attacks SKY from behind as Perez laughs on the entrance ramp, and the pair continue beating down SKY.
Alpha Academy then make their way down to the ring. Rusev follows.
The bell rings and the two lock up. Rusev fires off stomps on Otis in the corner, but Otis whips Rusev into the corner. Rusev responds with a clothesline, but Otis stays on his feet and rocks Rusev with a pair of splashes. Rusev levels Otis with a leg lariat, then rains down Hammer and Anvil elbows on Otis and wears him down with a submission. Otis delivers a belly-to-belly throw that sends Rusev crashing over the announce desk, then sends him crashing into the ring steps and follows it up with a spinning back fist.
Otis dumps Rusev back in the ring, but Rusev catches Otis with a punk kick and cinches in The Accolade. Otis taps out.
Winner: Rusev
After the match, Akira Tozawa steps up to Rusev and says he wants to fight him now. Rusev retreats and heads to the back, but changes him mind and sends Tozawa crashing on top of Otis with a powerbomb. He sends Otis crashing into opposite ring posts shoulder first, then lands another pump kick on him and cinches The Accolade back in. Officals run down to the ring to pry Rusev off of Otis as Natalya checks on Dupri on the outside.
Adam Pearce introduces both Pat McAfee and GUNTHER, and they both make their way out. Pearce reiterates that there will be no physicality, and the two men should get everything they need to off their chests. GUNTHER says he won’t do anything tonight and spoil anything for himself because he is professional. McAfee says Michael Cole has dedicated himself to travelling the world to call WWE matches for 28 years, which makes him entitled to having his opinion about GUNTHER. He says Omaha is a symbol of making dreams come true, then says while they may be from completely different places, they grew up with the same dream of being professional wrestlers and grew up thinking that’s what they were meant to do. He says GUNTHER has been involved in the business for 20 years, and that’s made him jaded. He says GUNTHER works a job while he lives out his dream every time he steps in the ring. He says GUNTHER will underestimate him on Saturday at Backlash, but he’ll prove him and the fans wrong.
GUNTHER says he’ll show up sharp, prepared, and focused in his first match since WrestleMania 41, then says he will give McAfee his full and undivided attention. He says he’ll maul McAfee and brutalize him in the ring, then drop him like a wet towel.
Seth Rollins, Paul Heyman, and Bron Breakker then make their way down to the ring. Jey Uso follows.
The bell rings and the two go back and forth. Rollins fires off stomps on Jey and the action spills out of the ring, but the pair get back inside and Jey rains down right hands on Rollins in the corner. Rollins fires off stomps on Jey in the corner, then catapults him into the middle rope and fires off right hands on Jey’s chest. He lands a boot on the side of Jey’s head, then lands a right hand on him in the corner. Jey responds with a few of his own, then ascends to the top rope and looks to fly.
Rollins moves out of the way and levels Jey with a back elbow, but Jey fires off right hands on Rollins and follows it up with a Samoan Drop. He delivers a Hip Attack on Rollins in the corner, then gets him up on his shoulders. Rollins retreats to the outside, then delivers a Suicide Die to Jey and flies off the top rope. Jey intercepts Rollins with a superkick and goes for a pin, but Rollins kicks out.
Rollins hits a Buckle Bomb on Jey, then ascends to the top rope and looks to hit a Frog Splash on Jey. Jey moves out of the way and looks to deliver a spear to Rollins, but Rollins catches Jey with a Pedigree and goes for a pin. Jey kicks out and looks to lock in a Sleeper on Rollins, but Rollins avoids it. Jey delivers a spear to Rollins and pins him, but Rollins kicks out and Jey ascends up the ropes. Breakker looks to interfere, but Jey fights him off. This opens the door for Rollins to land a superplex on Jey and transition into a Falcon Arrow, then follow it up with a Curb Stomp and go for a pin.
Jey kicks out, and Rollins whispers something to Breakker. Sami Zayn’s music hits, and Zayn blindsides Breakker from behind. This allows Jey to deliver a Frog Splash and a spear to Rollins, who then goes for a pin. Rollins manages to kick out, and Breakker levels Zayn with a spear on the outside. Breakker then delivers a spear to Jey as Heyman distracts the referee, and Rollins lands a Curb Stomp on Jey.
CM Punk’s music hits, and he runs down to the ring. He hits Rollins across the spine with a chair, forcing Rollins, Heyman, and Breakker to retreat up the ramp as the show goes off the air.
Winner (and still): Jey Uso (as the result of a no contest)
