The road to WrestleMania 41 is officially paved with streaming dollars and championship ambitions as WWE Raw heads to the SAP Center in San Jose, California, for its second episode in the Netflix era. The star power? Unmatched. The drama? Juicy. The stakes? Higher than the popcorn prices.
WWE has promised appearances by the colossal WWE World Heavyweight Champion GUNTHER, the rebellious and possibly microphone-proof CM Punk, and the newly re-crowned WWE Women’s World Champion Rhea Ripley. The three superstars are fresh off milestone moments, each bringing enough hype to turn San Jose into Suplex City Lite™.
GUNTHER: “Raw” Roster’s Gold Standard
Fresh from his video package flex last week, GUNTHER reminded everyone that his title isn’t just heavy—it’s aspirational. The champ hasn’t set foot in the ring since dominating Damian Priest and Finn Balor in a brutal defense, but his presence alone is enough to make the “Raw” roster collectively rethink their life choices.
Rhea Ripley: The Eradicator Returns to Glory
Ripley’s nine-month odyssey came full circle last week as she recaptured the WWE Women’s World Championship from Liv Morgan, the very rival who sidelined her in the first place. Now, Ripley is back to her title-hoarding ways and reportedly looking to leave Liv—and possibly her Judgment Day associates—in the dust. Can we blame her? Sometimes, even factions need a spring cleaning.
CM Punk: Pipebombs, Rumbles, and WrestleMania Dreams
The “Second City Saint” shocked the world last week by pinning Seth Rollins in the main event and promptly announcing his entry into the 2025 Royal Rumble. Punk’s back, and he’s making bold moves to remind the WWE Universe—and anyone who’ll listen—that he’s gunning for more gold. If the Rumble’s winner gets a ticket to WrestleMania, Punk’s already picking out his aisle seat.
Confirmed Matches for Raw
It’s not just the star appearances that’ll keep fans glued to their screens—Raw is also bringing the heat in the ring:
- Dakota Kai vs. Lyra Valkyria: The finals of the Women’s Intercontinental Championship tournament.
- Chad Gable vs. Mysterious Luchador: Rumors suggest it’s former AEW star Penta, but if true, Gable’s “thank you” might turn into a frantic “gracias.”
- Sheamus vs. Ludwig Kaiser: Expect Celtic aggression and German precision—plus a lot of angry slaps.
- Priest vs. Balor (Street Fight): Judgment Day implodes in a match where the only rule is chaos.