WWE Monday Night Raw returns on May 12, 2025, from the KFC Yum Center in Louisville, Kentucky, showcasing the fallout from the recent Backlash premium live event in St. Louis. The show kicks off with CM Punk expressing his frustrations about past betrayals. The night features thrilling contests, including a high-energy battle between the Creed Brothers and the War Raiders and a powerful promo from Becky Lynch about her transformation. As IYO SKY and Rhea Ripley faced Giulia and Roxanne Perez, the excitement builds for the upcoming storylines as fans eagerly anticipate what’s next in the weeks leading up to summer events. Catch WWE Raw May 12 Results, Winners, Grades, and Analysis.
CM Punk Opens WWE Raw
CM Punk opens WWE Raw, feeling frustrated and angry. He considers this place his home, but the aftermath of WrestleMania has left him with a lot of unresolved feelings. Although he has healed from his injuries, he cannot shake the anger inside. Punk feels like he has many enemies, but the biggest one is himself. He reflects on past betrayals, particularly by Paul Heyman, and realizes he should have seen it coming.
Punk recalls a painful incident from nearly twelve years ago when Heyman hit him with a ladder, resulting in serious injuries. He had hoped that they had both changed over the years, but Jey Uso had warned him about Heyman. Despite calling Heyman a “fat little snake,” Punk’s real frustration is directed at himself. He recognizes that his journey with Heyman and others like Seth Rollins is filled with betrayal and disappointment.
As Punk continues to express his anger, Paul Heyman enters the scene. Punk demands that Heyman explain his actions, warning him that his words might be his last. Seth Rollins then appears, criticizing Punk for being selfish and egotistical. Rollins accuses Punk of twisting the narrative to paint Heyman as the betrayer. He expresses his disgust for Punk’s behavior and suggests that Punk thrives on playing the victim.
The confrontation escalates into chaos as Bron Breakker enters the ring to attack Punk. Punk fights back but is quickly overwhelmed. Sami Zayn tries to help, but the odds are stacked against them. Just when things look grim, Jey Uso makes a timely save. Punk and Zayn seize the moment, grabbing chairs and reclaiming control of the ring, driving their opponents away. The tension remains high as the battle between friends and enemies continues.
Grade A
Analysis
CM Punk returned to WWE Raw last week to save Jey Uso and Sami Zayn from Seth Rollins and Bron Breakker. CM returned to mic this week with his usual insults for Paul Heyman and Seth Rollins. However, he blamed himself because he already faced these things and still trusted the same person. The feud is going for a tag team match with Punk and Zayn vs Rollins and Bron. It will be a good start for Seth Rollins and Breakker before going for the championship gold during the summer.
Chad Gable vs Penta
Gable starts the match strong, controlling the pace early on. He tries to tear at Penta’s mask but ends up sent to the floor after Penta counters with a Tijeras. Penta then attempts a slingshot plancha, but Gable counters with a headbutt, claiming that Lucha libre is not impressive as the show cuts to a commercial.
When they return, Penta hits a superkick and a headstand double stomp, but Gable responds with a bridging German suplex. The two exchange moves, with Penta trying for a lung blower and Gable countering with an ankle lock. Penta struggles but fights back, leading to a dramatic moment where Gable delivers a flip piledriver from the corner. Penta secures the win by pinfall with that impressive move.
Winner: Penta
Grade B
Analysis
WWE did not give them the proper storyline to make this match more important. Both these stars can give an A+ match if given the proper time. However, this match was not as good as we expected. Gable exclaimed, ‘Lucha Libre Sucks.’ But, Americano is a lucha.
Backstage
Roxanne Perez and Giulia start off with a strong promo, declaring that the women’s division is not safe and that they are ready to take over, leading to a commercial break. After the break, we move to the Judgment Day clubhouse, where Dominik Mysterio is on the phone with Liv Morgan, who seems to confuse him with a cheerful “good morning.” JD McDonagh chimes in, joking about time zones, while Dominik confronts Finn Balor about not being helpful enough at Backlash.
Balor brushes it off, saying, “All’s well that ends well,” and assures Dominik that he will handle AJ Styles later that night. Mysterio accepts this, and the rest of the Judgment Day members humorously explain the rotation of the earth to him as the scene shifts away.
Sami Zayn approaches CM Punk to check in ahead of their tag match against Bron Breakker and Seth Rollins at Saturday Night’s Main Event. Punk expresses mixed feelings, saying he is both good and not good, but he is struggling with trust issues at the moment. Zayn relates to this, recalling his own doubts before WarGames, which turned out well for them. He believes that while they both prefer to do things their own way, they can work together to take down Rollins and Breakker. Punk agrees, and they share a fist bump, signaling their commitment to the upcoming match.
Creed Brothers vs War Raiders
The New Day provides commentary for the match as the action unfolds. Brutus is initially dominated by the former Vikings, but the Creed Brothers quickly turn the tables on Erik, delivering kicks in the corner. Erik responds with a backbody drop, sending Julius over the ropes and knocking into his brother. However, the Raider’s counterattack left Brutus vulnerable as Ivar delivered a forearm and a vertical suplex on the floor before the show cut to a commercial. After the break, Ivar hits a Banzai Drop and a cartwheel into a reverse roundhouse, but Julius quickly counters by springing up to tag Brutus.
They execute a superplex followed by a moonsault, getting close to a win. The Raiders then start to dominate Julius, but Brutus breaks up a pin attempt. All four competitors end up down after a chaotic exchange. The Creeds manage to plant Ivar with a double spinebuster, but Erik interrupts their momentum. Outside the ring, Brutus and Erik brawl until the New Day interferes. Ultimately, the Creed Brothers secure victory by pinfall with the Brutus Ball Device on Ivar.
Winner: Creed Brothers
Grade C
Analysis
This match was not good by any means. Erik and Ivar have delivered strong performances in the past. The same goes for the Creed Brothers. However, this did not click in this one. It is a welcome sign that both teams are going for the Tag Team Champions because they will be good to go against Hell New Day.
Backstage
Backstage, Rollins tells Breakker that Punk and Zayn might think they have the upper hand, but they have no idea of his capabilities. He instructs Bron to have some fun before he leaves, while Adam Pearce wraps up a conversation with Jey Uso as the show goes to break.
Jey Uso and Gunther’s War of Words
Jey Uso makes his entrance and grabs the mic, expressing that he has a lot on his mind. He mentions the target on his back and calls out Logan Paul for avoiding him. Jey is determined to face Logan at Saturday Night’s Main Event and confidently declares that he will still be the World Champion afterward. Just then, GUNTHER interrupts, reminding Jey of their past encounter where Jey made him tap out.
GUNTHER questions Jey’s status as a champion and reveals that the winner between Jey and Logan will have the honor of handing the World Heavyweight Championship to him. Jey stands his ground, asserting that he is the champion and will handle Logan before facing GUNTHER again, promising it will end the same way as WrestleMania.
IYO SKY then cuts a promo, warning Roxanne Perez and Giulia that they will learn the same lesson that Rhea Ripley and Bianca Belair learned at WrestleMania. Following this, a memorial for Sabu is presented, featuring a montage of still pictures accompanied by commentary and piano music, which is a departure from WWE’s usual video packages.
Grade B
Analysis
Jey Uso’s booking is superb. People claimed that he would be a joke as champion, but he carried his own in the last few weeks. Uso has many opponents in the pipeline now. Paul, Rollins, and now Gunther. Gunther beat Pat McAfee at WWE Backlash. Now, he set his eyes on Uso to get back his world title. A warning from Sky was great. The video package for legendary Sabu was outstanding as Sabu breathed his last on 11th May.
Backstage
After the break, Ludwig Kaiser is interviewed backstage, but before he can speak, the camera shifts to Bron Breakker standing over an injured Jey Uso. Road agents rush in, led by Shane “Hurricane” Helms, while Sami Zayn and CM Punk arrive to check on Jey, highlighting the chaos unfolding backstage.
AJ Styles vs Finn Balor
The match begins with Balor and Styles circling each other, leading to a collar and elbow tie-up where Balor gains control with a wristlock that shifts to a side headlock. Styles counters with an impressive leapfrog and drop down, landing a dropkick that sends Balor to the floor just before the show cuts to commercial.
After the break, Styles executes a snap suplex and goes for a cover, but Balor kicks out. He then hits a scoop slam, turning the momentum in his favor with a Cobra Twist. Styles responds with a discus lariat, leaving both men down. When the action resumes, AJ hits a superplex, but both wrestlers remain exhausted on the mat. Styles locks in the Calf Killer, but Balor manages to roll through. Styles continues the offense with a Sling Blade and a shotgun dropkick.
Balor climbs to the top for the Coup de Grace, but Styles rolls away and re-applies the Calf Killer. As the match intensifies, Carlito and JD McDonagh attempt to interfere, but AJ takes them out. Just when it seems Balor has the upper hand with an inverted 1916, Styles counters and ultimately secures the victory with the Phenomenal Forearm, winning by pinfall.
Winner: AJ Styles
Grade A
Analysis
WWE seems to forget how classic this match is. However, the recent booking of these superstars took all the credibility from this match, which is a worthy match at any time. Both Styles and Balor delivered well and made this match great. The story of Dom and Balor is going to be the center point of Dom’s intercontinental title reign. AJ Styles is a veteran, and Mysterio will surely benefit from working with him.
Becky Lynch Promo
Becky Lynch sits on the turnbuckles with a microphone. She says she was not the one who lost on Saturday; it was Lyra Valkyria. While Lyra went to the hospital feeling victorious, Becky believes their match helped her become the best version of herself. She feels that, despite everything Valkyria has done, it was the best match of her career.
After the match, Becky did not hear defeat; she heard an alarm. She realized how much she had been manipulated by Lyra and the crowd. She stepped away from wrestling for almost a year because fans asked her to. After her last title win, she felt disconnected from them. She missed wrestling but liked herself better, away from their expectations. Now, she plans to embrace whatever labels the crowd gives her—greedy, cutthroat, selfish. She warns that the other women in the back will soon learn what it means to be held down by “the Man.”
Grade B+
Analysis
Becky Lynch cemented her heel persona with this promo. She also brushed off the loss she sustained at the hands of Lyra at WWE Backlash. She was because of crowd superstars, which we all wanted to see. It will be brilliant for the young competitors with whom she will work in the future.
Backstage
Maxxine Dupri and Natalya are backstage with Akira Tozawa and Adam Pearce. Pearce tells Tozawa that he cannot give him a match against Rusev just yet, but he will once he’s cleared. Sheamus then arrives and tells Akira that he knows he will give Rusev a tough time when he returns. Pearce congratulates Sheamus on his return last week, and Sheamus expresses his desire to keep the momentum going by asking for a match against Grayson Waller. Adam Pearce happily agrees and books the match.
IYO SKY & Rhea Ripley vs Giulia & Roxanne Perez
The match begins with IYO SKY and Roxanne Perez facing off. IYO quickly takes Roxanne down and follows up with a Lou Thesz Press and mounted punches. Roxanne manages to push her off and fights back, getting IYO into the corner and tagging in Giulia for some double-team action. The match gets chaotic as Rhea Ripley gets involved, battling with Roxanne while Giulia and IYO go at it. Roxanne pulls Rhea off the apron and slaps her, prompting a chase. Giulia then dives onto Rhea, and Roxanne dropkicks Ripley into the post before the show cuts to a break.
After the commercial, Roxanne works on IYO with a hammerlock, trying to keep her down. She tags in Rhea, who delivers a short-arm kick and a German suplex. Rhea sets Roxanne up for an avalanche Frankensteiner, which gets a near fall. Giulia tags in, unleashing a flurry of offense on Rhea, but the match continues to break down into chaos. Giulia attempts a small package, but IYO kicks out. The action ramps up as IYO hits a double stomp and then a diving moonsault, but Roxanne breaks the pin.
The match reaches a fever pitch with high-flying moves and intense exchanges. Giulia trips Rhea on the apron while Roxanne cuts off IYO in the corner. The Beautiful Madness team executes a butterfly superplex and a Northern Lights bomb, but Rhea intervenes to break the pin. IYO hits a butterfly backBreakker on Giulia while Rhea tags in but misses her target. In the end, IYO SKY and Rhea Ripley secure the win by pinfall after Ripley hits Giulia with the Riptide.
Winner: Rhea Ripley and Iyo Sky
Grade A
Analysis
All four competitors are outstanding. Giulia and Perez showed great chemistry in this match as they worked on tag team tactics brilliantly. WWE must give them the tag team titles soon. On the other side, Ripley and Sky are the top stars in Raw Women’s division. After the match, Ripley issued a challenge while celebrating with Sky.
