WWE Monday Night Raw Review – 3.30.26

We’re down to nineteen days on the Road to WrestleMania and this week, we’re in the famed Madison Square Garden. Several of our Mania main eventers are in the house, two sets of Tag Team Titles are on the line, and there could be one, two, ten, or twenty masked men.

The last week in WWE: Raw / NXT / Evolve / Impact / SmackDown / Rey de Reyes

Then, Now, Forever, Together.

This is the Big Apple, New York City, and this is the World’s Most Famous Arena, Madison Square Garden. 18,171 are in attendance for Raw, live on Netflix and presented by DoorDash.

Arrivals! WWE World Champion CM Punk! WWE Women’s World Tag Team Champions The Irresistible Forces! Oba Femi!

Undisputed WWE Champion “The American Nightmare” Cody Rhodes has joined us on the red brand tonight to kick us off. After a round of “Cody” chants, he asks what we’d like to talk about tonight. He’s interrupted immediately by… Stephanie McMahon? Sure. Why not. She gets her own chant and Cody is surprised to see her. Her name is “McMahon” and this is the house her grandfather built. Cody: “Okay?” She wants to talk about Cody, Randy Orton and WrestleMania but he’s not going to like what she has to say. She says Cody has taken the golden path but he can’t bring out the good side of this version of Orton. “This version of Cody Rhodes can’t beat this version of Randy Orton. You have no idea who you’re dealing with.”

Cody tells Stephanie he doesn’t want to be rude to her, but he knows everything about Randy Orton. He knows Randy has done some vile stuff and some of that to Stephanie. He is not afraid of Orton and tells Stephanie she is not her father either. Well, that’s a plus. She slaps him and tells him he’s going to walk out of Mania without his title. Cody swings her around. “Stephanie McMahon, I’ve got two words for ya… thank you.” She smiles as he leaves, the tough love being felt. That was a thing that happened.

Raw General Manager Adam Pearce is backstage with IShowSpeed and Danhausen appears. Speed begs to be uncursed. Pearce says he has front row seats for Speed for the tag title match and has a special guest commentator. Up walks L.A. Knight, yeah. We see Je’Von Evans and Kofi Kingston talking in the background.

WWE World Tag Team Championship New York City Street Fight: WWE World Tag Team Champions The Usos (Big Jim and Main Event Jey Uso) vs The Vision (Logan Paul and Austin Theory)

The Usos’ team theme has been further Def Rebeled and there is no yeeting. L.A. Knight has indeed joined Michael Cole and Corey Graves on commentary. IShowSpeed has found his front-row seat as well. With a street fight, they all brawl to begin as Knight wonders where Paul Heyman is at. Jey dives outside onto the Vision and we take a break.

The plundah has been broken out when we return, both members of the Vision with trash cans. They dodge and superkick each man, Jey sticking a can over Logan’s head and superkicking him. The Slim Jim Table is propped up in a corner. Theory is trash canned and the Usos smack it with kendo sticks. The Slim Jim Table is set up and the Usos load him on the top rope, superplexing Theory through the table. “Holt shit” chant as Logan finds his mother at ringside, who gives Logan brass knuckles. Knight goes for the interruption and Paul drags Speed over the barricade. Speed puts on the knuckles and turns around, punching and not knowing Knight was behind him. Oops. Logan slides the knucks on and Big Jim ducks, both Usos superkicking Logan and then Theory. Jey hits the spear and Jimmy runs into Logan with the knuckles on the outside. Jey dives after Logan and Theory falls on the KOed Jim, getting the pin. Speed raises the hands of The Vision. Perhaps we have a six-man brewing for Mania?

Austin Theory pins Jimmy Uso, The Vision are the new WWE World Tag Team champions. I liked this, the stipulation helped this be better than the usual Usos/Vision stuff. The Vision needed this and the Usos have bigger things brewing anyway.

Here’s a look at the Punk/Reigns stuff from last week. This week, they’re in the same building! They were last week as well, but we’re in a different building tonight.

Celebrities! They love Raw! Roastmaster Jeff Ross is here. Lin-Manuel Miranda is here. The famous love the WWE!

Liv Morgan has joined us in the arena. She congratulates NYC for being in the presence of the greatest Royal Rumble winner of all-time. “Stephanie Vaquer, you’re done for, bitch.” Vaquer attacked her family and her Daddy Dom. She says it is on-sight and her mother taught her to never let anyone get the better of her and calls Stephanie’s mother a puta. That brings us WWE Women’s World Champion Stephanie Vaquer, marching to the ring. The brawl is on and Stephanie drops Liv with a kick before grabbing a steel chair. Roxanne Perez pops out for the attack, helping Liv hit Oblivion onto the chair. “You stupid bitch,” yells Liv. That was a good segment.

The Vision and Speed talk backstage. Logan tells Speed he has enemies now and laughs at him. Enter WWE Hall of Famer Paul Heyman, telling Speed he’s in good hands. He tells them to go eat and it’ll be fine. “The Usos are going to kill him.” Heyman turns around to Pearce who asks if Heyman has checked his e-mail. Pearce says there is something important and Heyman mocks him.

WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions The Irresistible Forces (Nia Jax and Lash Legend) vs Lyra Valkyria and Bayley

This is the first Raw match for Lash and the first Women’s Tag Title match in MSG since 1987. Bayley and Lash start it off, Lash steamrolling Bayley. Lyra and Nia tag in, Lyra tries to take down Nia but is shoved to the corner. Lash powers out of a double team attack and the Forces continue good teamwork. Bayley leaps onto Nia and then onto Lash to send us to commercial on cue as always.

We come back to Nia knocking Bayley off the apron and continuing to work over Lyra with a big Samoan drop. Lash grabs Lyra for a standing suplex but Lyra counters into a DDT, crawling for the hot tag. Bayley tags in and drops an elbow on Lash for a two, Lash tossing her off. Nia drags Bayley to the corner and Bayley pops up, walking her across the ring for a powerbomb from the second rope. Lyra tags in with a middle-rope moonsault for two, Lash breaking it up. All four are down and here come WWE Hall of Famers The Bella Twins, followed behind by Charlotte Flair and Alexa Bliss. As you’d expect, it all breaks down and the brawl is on between all four teams. The crowd did not enjoy how this all ended.

This match goes to a no contest. A decent match but we all knew where it was going. I’m glad these women finally have something set up for Mania (or will shortly).

Danhausen announces that WWE will return to MSG for Saturday Night’s Main Event in July. Thank you, Danhausen. Very nice of you.

Brock Lesnar in full gear comes out with WWE Hall of Famer Paul Heyman. The fans chant and grunt for Oba. Paul would like to talk about the perils that are ahead for Oba. Brock wasn’t ready for a fight last week but he’s ready tonight. Lesnar grabs the mic and yells, “Enough! Oba Femi, get your ass out here right now.” Adam Pearce joins us instead, telling us that will not be happening tonight and brings out security guards who are probably about to die. Pearce tells us he is here to protect his Mania matches and this isn’t happening tonight.

The lights dim and the drums hit, Oba Femi joining us. Oba funs through the secruity and Pearce yells at him. Oba tosses Adam into the barricade and the fans are LOUD for Oba as he paces around the ring. We get a “holy shit” chant (fair) and our big beefy men stare each other down. The center of our universe, Triple H, slides in the ring and gets in between them. Triple H Points To Sign and says that’s when it happens as the fans boo him and their showdown being stopped. Brock F5’s a security guard just to be an ass. A good segment.

Finn Balor tells us, via video package, that Dom lost the Intercontinental Title because he’s a jackass. “I’m guilty, I helped create that jackass. So now, I’m responsible for destroying you at WrestleMania.”

WWE Intercontinental Championship: WWE Intercontinental Champion Penta vs Kofi Kingston (with Grayson Waller)

This is the result of an open challenge, our favorite crutch for the midcard titles. Kofi leaps into a big kick but nails a flying DDT on Penta. Cole, who doesn’t watch the program, wonders if Kofi has given up on Je’Von Evans. Penta sets up the Driver, Kofi switches out and takes the corner boots instead as Cole reminds us of KofiMania. Penta kicks Kofi to the apron and gets backdropped onto the ring apron. Kofi and Waller argue as we go to break.

After break, Kofi gets a two count on the SOS. Kofi leaps onto Penta on the outside, Penta catches him and backdrops him onto the announce table. Penta jumps into Trouble In Paradise but Penta kicks out at two. Kofi is bounced off the top rope and nailed with a Mexican Destroyer, Penta retains.

Penta pins Kofi Kingston to retain the WWE Intercontinental Championship. Very good match. These two work very well together (and with most anyone, really). I’d like to see this again! Watch this one.

Jackie Redmond joins Penta in the ring and congratulates him. She Points To Sign and wonders what his plans are. “At WrestleMania, my title hangs above the ring. You want it? Climb.” Easy enough.

Pearce is walking and comes across Heyman, showing no signs of his previous attack. Brock has left and Pearce asks again about the e-mail. We banter a bit and Paul says he’s headed to the ring to say some additional things because god forbid we don’t have two Heyman in-ring segments every week now.

Paul Heyman has rejoined us in the ring for an additional round of talking. After some babble, Pearce joins us and asks about the e-mail a third time. God, he’s like my boss. Nobody checks e-mails in 2026. Pearce tells us the Boston Police Department has dropped all charges against Seth Rollins and as of right now, Seth is medically cleared. Seth Freakin’ Rollins appears behind Heyman with a chair and smacks him to the mat. Seth sets Paul up on the chair for the stomp, but The Ring General Gunther pulls him to ringside, hooking on the sleeper on the announce table, Rollins passing out. We have found Gunther something to do at Mania as Gunther Points To Sign and wipes blood across Seth’s forehead as Gunther’s eyebrow was busted open at some point in this.

Celebrities! Elle Duncan is ringside. She’s a Netflix person. Celebrities love Raw, especially ones that are legally tied to Netflix programming!

Iyo Sky vs Raquel Rodriguez

Let’s find these two something to do at Mania. Maybe they should join the ladder match. Raquel works over Iyo in the corner. Iyo kicks out of a powerbomb attempt and dropkicks Raquel to the corner. Raquel falls to the outside, Iyo flies onto her and is caught by Raquel who clotheslines her to the floor. This crowd kind of sucks tonight. Raquel smashes Iyo with a big boot and this time is rana-ed into the corner. Iyo springboard moonsaults onto Raquel on the outside and we go to break.

We come back to Iyo dodging a blow and springboarding with a dropkick into Raquel’s face. Bullet Train and Iyo slowly goes for the Over The Moonsault, which gives Raquel a chance to get her feet up. She pounces Iyo and stacks her for a two count. Iyo rolls Raquel into a stomp. The Kabuki Warriors run out and Kairi Sane jumps on the apron, Raquel booting her off and being rolled into a two. Iyo catches a big top-rope DDT on Raquel and again nails the Bullet Train, Asuka yelling at Kairi. Iyo sees this and dives onto Asuka and almost her head. Iyo tells Kairi she did it for her and Raquel snatches Iyo up with a Tejana Bomb and a pin.

Raquel Rodriguez pins Iyo Sky. As the kids say, Iyo and Raquel were hooping here. I say these same two things regularly, but Iyo is the best in the business and Raquel has grown into a superstar. This one is worth your watching time.

We announce the field so far for the ladder match, with Penta, Dragon Lee, Je’Von Evans, Rusev and JD McDonough with a few qualifiers to go including one on Main Event. Main Event! Finn vs Dom and the Fatal 4-Way for the Women’s Tag Team Titles are official as well. Oh, and John Cena got on Twitter and said he’s hosting WrestleMania.

OTC1 Roman Reigns is here for our final segment of the show. I hope he calls someone old tonight. The fans sing for Roman and then chant for CM Punk. After a call for acknowledgement, WWE World Champion CM Punk comes right on out, taping his fist on the way to the ring. Now where is Adam Pearce to stop THIS fight and protect his WrestleMania match? Triple H, where are you? Inconsistent! Reigns takes Punk down and Punk tosses him to the floor. Security finally comes out to break things up and Punk strips the announce table. The men fight through the suits and officials, Roman shoving a few and trying to pull Punk up for a powerbomb. Punk pulls Reigns into a GTS, the suits separate them. Petey Williams takes a big spear and Punk hits GTS, staring at The Sign. The Sign powers us all. The Sign makes us do crazy things. Punk sets Roman up for a powerbomb through the announce desk and hits it, Roman bouncing through the table. Punk sits cross-legged in front of Roman’s downed body and signs “Roman, Roman Reigns” and bounces a few punches off his head before being pulled off to end the program.

At least that was short and to the point, though I’m just ready to get on to the match now. “We still have two weeks to go to WrestleMania,” exclaims Michael Cole. The Road to WrestleMania may never end. A good segment to end the show and I’m sure we’ll have one more segment between these two on that road.

Two very good matches on this one, Penta vs Kofi and Raquel vs Iyo. We finally hit the gas pedal on making some things official for Mania, throwing a ladder match, a Fatal 4-Way and Dom/Finn into things as well as setting up Gunther/Seth. The cards have very slowly fallen into place. Very slowly. Oh, and Stephanie McMahon was here.