By Jason Powell, ProWrestling.net Editor (@prowrestlingnet)
WWE Raw (Episode 1,716)
Sacramento, California, at Golden 1 Center
Streamed live April 13, 2026, on Netflix
[Hour One] Raw opened with a Roman Reigns video package. He addressed CM Punk and recalled telling him to enjoy the relevancy he had left. He said Punk did exactly what he thought he would do by lying. Reigns accused Punk of trying to revise the Tribal Chief’s history. He said Punk lied, but the fans lived through it.
Footage aired of Punk making statements while other clips showed him doing the opposite. Pat McAfee’s comments about Punk from Friday’s Smackdown were shown. Reigns said he likes McAfee, but never in the world has a punter ever run his mouth so much. Reigns said no one believes in Punk because it’s not 2012 anymore. Reigns said in the main event tonight, Punk would tell the truth or he would. A sound byte aired with Reigns saying, “This message has been approved by your Tribal Chief”…
Michael Cole checked in on commentary and narrated backstage shots of CM Punk, Stephanie Vaquer, Charlotte Flair with Alexa Bliss, and Gunther. Cole said there were nearly 12,000 fans in attendance…
Powell’s POV: Cole isn’t exaggerating the attendance. A few hours ago, WrestleTix listed the venue as being set up for 11,548 with 11,279 tickets distributed. The listed capacity is 17,608. The last time WWE ran the Golden 1 Center was for Raw on October 20, 2025, when 10,106 tickets were distributed.
Footage aired of last week’s attempted contract signing for the Brock Lesnar vs. Oba Femi match. Cole hyped the match as airing live this Sunday on ESPN…
Paul Levesque and Raw General Manager Adam Pearce stood in the ring. Pearce welcomed viewers to Raw. Pearce said he decided to have Brock Lesnar and Oba Femi sign their WrestleMania contract separately.
“Ladies and gentlemen,” Paul Heyman said before walking onto the stage. Heyman introduced Brock Lesnar, who came and headed to the ring with Heyman. Cole and broadcast partner Corey Graves hyped the match. Lesnar signed the contract.
Heyman started to talk, but Lesnar took the mic and said, “You won’t even know his name after this weekend.” Lesnar gave Heyman the mic back. Heyman delivered a “spoiler” by saying there would be a winner and a loser, and the loser’s name is Oba Femi. Heyman said the winner would be the greatest contact sports athlete in history. Heyman and Lesnar exited the ring and headed to the back…
Cole and Graves spoke at their broadcast table. Cole said Oba Femi would appear later in the night to sign the contract. They shifted the focus to Pearce announcing IShowSpeed, Logan Paul, and Austin Theory vs. LA Knight and The Usos…
Footage aired of Logan Paul and Austin Theory with IShowSpeed in front of a wrestling ring. Speed said he’s not a wrestler. They tried to get him excited about the match and reminded him that everyone hates him. Speed was shown training in a ring and got the better of some developmental wrestlers. He put one of the wrestlers in a submission hold. Logan and Theory called him off. Speed declared himself ready for the six-man tag match…
Cole said IShowSpeed, Logan Paul, and Austin Theory vs. LA Knight and The Usos would kick off WrestleMania Saturday on ESPN2…
Charlotte Flair made her entrance for a match and was accompanied by Alexa Bliss. Ring announcer Alicia Taylor introduced them. Bliss had the awful Lilly doll. Cole said Flair would face Lyra Valkyria after a commercial break… [C]
Powell’s POV: Roman Reigns following Pat McAfee in framing CM Punk as a hypocrite is an interesting development. It will be interesting to hear how Punk responds to those accusations later in the show. Meanwhile, I got a kick Speed being petrified, so I’m not sure how to feel about him gaining confidence. Perhaps one shot from LA Knight or the Usos on Saturday will erase that confidence.
Footage aired of the WWE crew setting up for WrestleMania inside Allegiant Stadium… Cole mentioned that he would host a WrestleMania Kickoff event on Friday…
1. Charlotte Flair (w/Alexa Bliss) vs. Lyra Valkyria (w/Bayley). Valkyria’s entrance was not televised. The broadcast team graphic listed Jackie Redmond and Cathy Kelley as the backstage interviewers. Valkyria cleared Flair from the ring and played to the crowd before jumping over the top rope, only to have Flair move. Valkyria landed on her feet, but Flair dropped her with a big boot. [C]
Valkyria used an inside cradle to get a near fall. Flair came back and hit a top rope moonsault for a near fall of her own. Valkyria countered out of the Natural Selection and got a near fall, and then came right back with a fisherman’s suplex for another. Valkyria set up for her finisher, but Flair slipped out and shoved Valkyria through the ropes, causing her to crash into Bayley on the floor. Once Valkyria was back in the ring, Flair rolled up Valkyria. Bayley stood up and reversed the pin, which resulted in Valkyria getting a three count.
Lyra Valkyria beat Charlotte Flair in 10:25.
After the match, Flair and Bliss weren’t happy, which led to some pushing and shoving between the two teams…
Powell’s POV: Bliss beat Bayley on Smackdown, so it was logical to have Valkyria even things up by beating Flair. That said, I’m surprised they didn’t have Bayley beat Bliss, and Flair beat Valkyria. Flair won’t be working tag team matches forever, so while it’s not a big deal, I’m surprised they weren’t more protective of her in a singles match.
Footage aired of Bubba Wallace driving a WrestleMania car on a NASCAR track. Cole hyped tickets were still on sale for Raw and Smackdown in Las Vegas…
LA Knight spoke with Jimmy Uso and Jey Uso in a backstage area. Solo Sikoa, Talla Tonga, Tonga Loa, and JC Mateo showed up. Jimmy asked Solo what he was doing there. Solo said it was good to see him, too. Solo complained about dealing with Jacob Fatu on Smackdown, and said that Tama Tonga wasn’t there and should be. Solo said the Usos hanging out with Knight was making their family look bad. Knight suggested a six-man tag, and said Solo and his crew would all get smacked back to factory settings…
Women’s World Champion Stephanie Vaquer was shown walking backstage while Cole hyped an interview with her for after a break… [C]
Women’s World Champion Stephanie Vaquer made her entrance to a good reaction. Cathy Kelley stood in the ring and conducted the interview. Liv Morgan showed up and shoved Vaquer into Kelley, just as Vaquer shoved Morgan into Roxanne Perez last week.
Producers intervened to pull the wrestlers apart, and they got Vaquer to the floor. Morgan got a mic and said she knew Vaquer’s mother was trash, but she didn’t know she raised a little bitch. Vaquer yelled in Spanish before returning to the ring. Vaquer broke free from the producers and drilled Morgan with a forearm, and then the producers pulled Morgan to the floor. Two referees were shown helping Cathy Kelley to the back…
Backstage, Jackie Redmond interviewed Iyo Sky about losing to Jade Cargill on Friday’s Smackdown. Sky said she lost. She said no one would be rooting harder for Rhea Ripley at WrestleMania than her.
Asuka and Kairi Sane arrived, causing Redmond to walk away. Asuka said Sky went into WrestleMania as a champion last year, but this year she’s just Ripley’s sidekick. Asuka volunteered to have Sane face Sky. Neither Sky nor Sane looked happy about it…
Jimmy Uso and Jey Uso made their entrance through the crowd for the six-man tag match… [C] Cole said last week’s footage of Logan Paul shoving IShowSpeed into LA Knight accumulated 428 million views across social media. It was listed as the most viewed clip in the history of Raw, Smackdown, and NXT…
LA Knight made his entrance, and then Solo Sikoa and The MFT (minus Tama Tonga) made their entrance. Graves hyped The MFT vs. The Wyatt Sicks in an eight-man street fight for Friday’s Smackdown…
2. Jimmy Uso, Jey Uso, and LA Knight vs. Solo Sikoa, Tonga Loa, and JC Mateo (w/Talla Tonga). Loa and Mateo wore face paint. Cole mentioned the tension between Solo and Tama Tonga, and how Shinsuke Nakamura has been encouraging Tama to be his own man. Jey performed a dive over the ropes onto Mateo before a break one minute into the match. [C]
Jey and Solo fought and ended up both down on the mat while Cole hyped the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal for Friday’s Smackdown. Jey made a hot tag to Knight, who worked over the heels.
[Hour Two] Knight hit Loa with a top rope elbow and went for the pin, but Mateo splashed him to break it up. Moments later, Jey went for a suicide dive on Solo, who caught him and sent him crashing onto the broadcast table.
Tama Tonga showed up wearing non-wrestling attire in the timekeeper’s area. Solo and Talla approached Tama. Solo asked Tama where he’d been, and Talla glared at Tama. In the ring, Knight hit the BFT on Loa before pinning him…
Jimmy Uso, Jey Uso, and LA Knight beat Solo Sikoa, Tonga Loa, and JC Mateo in 6:50.
Powell’s POV: I’m surprised they brought the Solo and Tama drama (hey, that rhymes) to Raw when there are so many other things to push for WrestleMania. I continue to wonder if Tama Tonga, Shinsuke Nakamura, and fellow former NJPW wrestler Evil will form a faction.
The broadcast team spoke at their desk. Cole said Cathy Kelley was examined, and it appeared she would be okay. Cole set up a video package that recapped Pat McAfee’s antics on Smackdown…
Gunther made his entrance… [C] Cole hyped WWE Hall of Fame tickets. Although the ESPN and YouTube logos were listed in the graphic, there was still no official announcement of the ceremony streaming…
Gunther stood in the ring. Before he could say anything, Seth Rollins arrived and attacked him. Gunther escaped and headed toward the stage. Rollins said if this isn’t just about Gunther kissing Paul Heyman’s ass, he should come back to the ring and tell him why he wants to fight him at WrestleMania.
Gunther returned to the ring and went face-to-face with Rollins. Gunther said he was solving Heyman’s problem with a smile on his face because Rollins was pissing him off. He said Rollins has been strutting around, acting like he’s the best in the ring. Gunther said he is the best. Gunther said that when he held the World Heavyweight Champion, Rollins chose to become a useful idiot for Heyman rather than seek out the highest level of competition.
Gunther pressed his forehead against Rollins’ forehead and said it’s very personal to him, and he will prove that Rollins can’t lace his boots. They traded punches. Rollins got the better of it until Gunther caught him with a knee to the gut. Gunther set up for a powerbomb, but Rollins stuffed it and kicked Gunther, who ended up on the floor. Rollins followed and tried to Stomp Gunther’s head on the ring steps, but Gunther moved and then hopped over the barricade…
Powell’s POV: Gunther and Rollins did their best to make it feel personal. There’s only so much they can do without a backstory and with so little time to set up their WrestleMania match.
Cole hyped The Demon returning for the first time in three years, and facing Dominik Mysterio at WrestleMania…
Backstage, Dom complained to Adam Pearce about his father being put in the ladder match for the Intercontinental Title, while he has to face The Demon. Dom said Finn Balor told him that the Demon was dead. Dom said he signed to face Balor, not the Demon. Pearce said Rey Mysterio deserves to be in the Intercontinental Title match, just as Dom deserves what he’s getting…
Actor Yahya Abdul-Mateen II and Sacramento Kings’ forward Dylan Cardwell were shown in the crowd…
Iyo Sky made her entrance for her match against Kairi Sane… [C]
3. Iyo Sky vs. Kairi Sane (w/Asuka). Sane’s entrance was not televised. Sane was in offensive control early, but Sky caught her with a kick while they were both on the floor. Sky performed a moonsault off the barricade before playing to the crowd. [C]
Sky had Sane on the ropes and set up for a move. Sane headbutted Sky, who hooked her legs on the ropes to avoid falling. Sane stood above Sky, who reached up and hit her with a palm strike that caused Sane to fall from the ropes. Asuka swung Sky into the ring post.
Rhea Ripley’s entrance music played, and she rushed to the ring and went after Asuka. Ripley set up to give Asuka a Riptide on the floor.
WWE Women’s Champion Jade Cargill showed up and hit Ripley from behind. Jade and Asuka put the boots to Ripley until Sky took out J with a suicide dive. Sky returned to the apron and dropped Sane with a kick. Sky went up top for her finisher, but Asuka tripped her while the referee was checking on Sane, who rolled up Sky for the three count…
Kairi Sane defeated Iyo Sky in 10:00.
Powell’s POV: There was no reason for the referee to be focused on Sane when Asuka interfered the second time, which led to Sane stealing the pin. With only Friday’s Smackdown left to go, I’m surprised that Sky and Asuka have not been added to the WrestleMania card.
The AJ Lee and Becky Lynch feud was recapped in a video package…
Oba Femi was shown walking backstage while Cole hyped his appearance for after the break… [C] Cole hyped that Triple H will be a guest on Stephanie McMahon’s podcast, but he will reverse the roles by interviewing Stephanie…
Adam Pearce and Paul Levesque stood in the ring. Pearce showed off the contract and said there was one signature on it, so he wanted to get the second to make the match official. Pearce introduced Oba Femi.
Oba Femi made his entrance and shook hands with Pearce and Levesque once he was in the ring. Oba signed the contract. Levesque got Oba’s attention and then pointed to the stage.
Paul Heyman stood on the stage while the fans chanted Oba’s name. Heyman said he’d been in the industry his entire life, and he’d never seen anyone come across to the audience as the biggest star in the industry as fast as Oba. Heyman said he knows when he’s safe and when he’s not. He said Oba is a violent man, so he would stay on the stage.
Heyman said Oba is the most violent man to come into WWE since Brock Lesnar. He said Oba is the fastest-rising star to the top of WWE since Lesnar. Heyman said Oba is the most impressive fighter and combat athlete, but he couldn’t finish the sentence because the fans changed for Oba again. Heyman told the fans they were starting to piss him off.
Heyman said everything would come crashing down with Suplex City and an F5 when Lesnar conquers Oba. Heyman said that after Oba is conquered on Sunday, his door would always be open for him. The fans booed.
Oba said it was taking everything in him not to beat Heyman from pillar to post. He said the physical pain and scars would heal, but the emotional wounds Heyman suffers when his Beast loses at WrestleMania would last forever.
Oba recalled Lesnar issuing an open challenge because 25 years of history said Lesnar can’t be beat. Oba said he has four weeks of history that show he can beat Lesnar. Oba said that if Heyman were honest, he would have come out and admitted that his client is afraid of him. Oba said he would slay the beast “because I’m the one, and I’ve always been the one.” Oba said he knows it, the fans know it, and Heyman will know it at WrestleMania too…
Powell’s POV: The Sacramento fans have been hot for everything tonight, but they were red hot for Oba. It’s been fun to see how quickly the fans have embraced him. I’m surprised Lesnar never got the better of Oba during any of their segments, but no complaints. What they’ve done has obviously been working.
Liv Morgan’s “Trouble” music video aired…
Powell’s POV: Liv is a B3cca wannabe.
Je’Von Evans made his entrance. A graphic listed Evans and Dragon Lee vs. Rusev and JD McDonagh… [C] Cole plugged the skull mask that Triple H wore during a WrestleMania entrance being auctioned for charity…
4. J’Von Evans and Dragon Lee vs. Rusev and JD McDonagh. Lee, Rusev, and McDonagh’s entrances were not televised.
[Hour Three] Evans had a nice flurry of offense. He sent Rusev to the floor and set up for a move, but Rusev threw a punch from the floor. They didn’t seem to be on the same page because Rusev had to punch Evans’ leg before punching him in the same. Moments later, Rusev performed a fallaway slam that sent Evans over the broadcast table. [C]
Late in the match, Evans hit Rusev with a spin kick that sent him to the floor. Evans dove over the top rope onto Rusev on the floor. In the ring, Dragon Lee hit McDonagh with a Styles Clash and then covered him for the win.
J’Von Evans and Dragon Lee beat Rusev and JD McDonagh in 8:15.
After the match, Rusev shoved Evans into Lee. Rusev performed moves on both men and set up Lee for The Accolade. Rey Mysterio made his entrance and got the better of Rusev initially, but Rusev eventually put him down.
Intercontinental Champion Penta ran out and fought Rusev, who caught him jumping off the ropes with a kick. Rusev threw Machka kicks at several wrestlers before putting Lee in The Accolade…
Powell’s POV: They finally made Rusev look like a badass heading into the ladder match, which probably means he’s the least likely person to win on Sunday.
The WrestleMania schedule graphic listed the Friday’s WrestleMania Kickoff event for 4CT/5ET on ESPN2. There will be three-hour WrestleMania Countdown shows on Saturday and Sunday at 2CT/3ET on ESPN Unlimited and WWE social media pages. The broadcast team ran through the WrestleMania cards, and then Cole pushed tickets for Smackdown and Raw in Las Vegas again…
Adam Pearce was shown in his office talking on the phone about John Cena hosting WrestleMania. Danhausen popped up behind Pearce and wondered if Pearce was talking with Cena. Danhausen asked for the phone. Pearce said he was sure that Cena would be the WrestleMania host and would be delighted to talk with him. Pearce ended his phone call and then turned to speak with Danhausen, who was gone…
Roman Reigns made his entrance… [C]
Reigns stood in the ring coming out of the break and told the Sacramento fans to acknowledge him. World Heavyweight Champion CM Punk’s entrance theme interrupted Reigns, who looked to the stage. When Punk didn’t come out, Reigns turned and spotted him in the crowd. Punk walked down the steps and eventually reached the main floor and made it to ringside.
Punk, who had his title belt around his waist, climbed on the broadcast table while Reigns glared at him. There were dueling chants for the wrestlers. Punk said he watched the cold open and said it was a political smear campaign that he assumed Reigns put together himself.
Punk told Reigns to tell him when he’s telling lies. He dropped off the broadcast table and walked up the ring steps. “If you come in this ring, we’re not going to need these mics,” Reigns said. Punk stood on the apron and said he thought about it a lot over the last couple of weeks.
“I hate you,” Punk said. “I hate you because I envy you.” He said this was all he wanted since he was a kid, and he resents that it was handed to Reigns. He said he hates that Reigns was champion 1,316 days. He said he hates that he knows Reigns worked his ass off to accomplish that. Punk said he hates how many times Reigns has main evented WrestleMania.
Punk told Reigns to tell him when he’s telling lies, and then asked if he’d lied. Punk said he hates that he envies Reigns and that he feels this way. Punk said Sika was a champion and a Hall of Famer. He said he hates that he invoked Roman’s father’s name in vain, and I sincerely apologize to you.
Punk entered the ring and went face-to-face with Reigns. Punk said he hates that there’s more than one Royal Family in pro wrestling, and he hates that he envies the fact that he wasn’t born into a dynasty. Punk said he found his family in every VFW, Knights of Columbus Hall, etc. He said he found his family on the indies. He said he conquered the indies and then went to Japan and around the world.
Punk said he wasn’t handed anything or born on third base with a silver spoon. He said he busted his ass. He said he hates that he has to share anything with Reigns, including that he has to share headlining WrestleMania for the first time in a singles match.
Punk spoke about having gold above his head at the end of Sunday night, and the ring announcer would say that he is still the heavyweight champion of the world, and the Vegas fans would chant his name. “Tell me when I’m telling lies,” said Punk.
Reigns said that’s probably the truest words he’s heard Punk say, up until the end. Reigns said he would tell Punk something true. “I hate you too,” Reigns said. “I hated you for a long time. But the main reason is because of your relationship with all of them.” Reigns said he hopes that one day, when he leaves, the fans will miss him as much as they missed Punk and will chant his name for ten years straight.
Reigns said no one can take away the connection that Punk has made with the fans. Reigns said the reality is that his time is up on Sunday. He said he gave Punk two months to hold this relevance, and he did nothing with it. Reigns said on Sunday, it would be “and new.”
Reigns said the experiment would end on Sunday and they fix the mess that Punk started. Reigns said they would “make this place where we had it, at the very top, worth every dollar.” Reigns said that on Sunday, Punk, along with the whole world, will acknowledge him. The executive producer credits were shown, and Reigns and Punk were still face-to-face as the show ended…
Powell’s POV: Punk and Reigns put aside most of the insults and got “real” to close out the build for their WrestleMania main event. It was compelling, but I can’t say that it made me more excited about their match. That said, it beat the hell out of cramming Pat McAfee into the story while going for shock value. Plus, I was already looking forward to Punk vs. Reigns more than anything on the WrestleMania card, so they are in a good place.
Overall, it was nice to get a break from the creative insanity that has been playing out with the top feud on Smackdown over the last two weeks, and getting to watch a more traditional final push for WrestleMania 42. I will be back shortly with my weekly same-night audio review of Raw for Dot Net Members (including our Patreon patrons). Let me know what you thought of the show by grading it below.
Make ProWrestling.net your home for WrestleMania 42 coverage this weekend.