ROYAL RUMBLE ALERT: AJ STYLES SET FOR "LAST DANCE" AGAINST GUNTHER IN RIYADH
After a chaotic RAW disqualification, CM Punk and AJ Styles shared a rare, emotional moment. Is Riyadh the end for the "Phenomenal" one?
CM Punk and AJ Styles finally met in a WWE ring—kind of wild, considering their first showdown happened back in 2004, way before either of them blew up in the wrestling world. Since then, both guys have become icons, each carving out their own legendary path.
On RAW, they battled for the World Championship, but the match ended in chaos after Finn Balor jumped Punk, causing a disqualification. Last week, it looked like things had smoothed out between Punk and Balor after they main-evented together. But this week, Punk caught up with Balor backstage and told him straight up—ditch The Judgement Day; they're just holding you back. Later on, though, Punk and Liv Morgan had a talk that seemed to shift things in a new direction.
After RAW wrapped up, AJ Styles grabbed the mic in front of the crowd. He got real for a second, thanking everyone for their support—including Punk’s. You could feel the emotion.
“Hey Punk, I don’t care who knows; we’ve definitely had our share of tough times, but I’m so grateful we shared this ring tonight. And I want everyone here to hear it—thank you. I love you, brother.”
They hugged it out. Then Punk stepped up and thanked the fans who made it out despite the lousy weather. He called it a privilege to work with AJ and wished him luck for his big match against Gunther at the Royal Rumble.
“For everyone who stuck it out tonight—even with the bad weather and tough travel, you still packed this place. And no matter what goes down in Riyadh when AJ takes on Gunther, I’ll be watching, just like all of you. I told AJ earlier, and I’ll say it again: knowing you, calling you a friend, sharing this ring—it’s all a privilege. If Saturday’s the end, then what a career, man. I love you, brother. Thank you.”
Hard to believe AJ only debuted in WWE in 2016 at the Royal Rumble—feels like he’s been around forever.
OBA FEMI AMBUSH CONFIRMS BROCK LESNAR MATCH AND SHIFTS ROLLINS’ WRESTLEMANIA PLANS
Seth Rollins teased a WrestleMania 42 match with Bron Breakker after Oba Femi replaced him as Brock Lesnar's opponent.
This week’s RAW didn’t just hint at a big WrestleMania match it quietly spelt it out.
Seth Rollins came out swinging. He went right for Paul Heyman, dropping the jokes and theatrics for once. Seth accused Heyman of picking the wrong side and promised to run him out of WWE. Heyman didn’t flinch. He just did what he always does: sent out Brock Lesnar. For a second, it looked like Rollins vs. Lesnar was heating up for WrestleMania 42.
Then Oba Femi stormed in and flipped the script.
Femi ambushed Brock, and before you could blink, WWE announced Lesnar vs. Femi for Las Vegas. That move did more than set up a fresh headline bout it took Brock out of Seth’s way. Now, the biggest question on RAW is, who's Seth facing at WrestleMania?
Only one guy still fits.
Rollins made his intentions clear. Anyone in Heyman’s camp is officially his enemy. Roman Reigns? He’s tangled up with CM Punk. Lesnar? Now booked with Femi. That doesn’t leave many options.
It leaves Bron Breakker.
Breakker hasn’t been around after hernia surgery, but the story with Rollins isn’t over. He was the one who turned on Seth and kicked him out of The Vision. That betrayal still stings. When WWE plants a seed like that, they usually bring it full circle.
Some earlier reports said Breakker’s injury might keep him out of WrestleMania, but RAW’s booking says otherwise. If the plan was always Rollins vs. Lesnar, WWE wouldn't have switched gears so fast to Lesnar vs. Femi. That change feels deliberate. It clears space for something bigger.
Rollins even name-dropped Breakker during his promo, mentioned the injury, but kept him in the story. That line mattered WWE hasn’t forgotten about him.
Breakker’s official medical update is still up in the air. Behind the scenes, people are confident. Rollins will be ready for WrestleMania, and hopefully Breakker can make it too. If he’s not cleared, Logan Paul is waiting in the wings as Plan B.
HOW PAUL HEYMAN MANAGES FOUR TOP TIER TALENTS SIMULTANEOUSLY ON WWE RAW
Paul Heyman’s massive backstage influence is revealed as Bron Breakker undergoes emergency surgery before WrestleMania 42.
Word is spreading about just how much pull Paul Heyman really has backstage in WWE.
Sure, everybody sees him on RAW standing next to Bron Breakker, Bronson Reed, Logan Paul, and Austin Theory. But behind the curtain, Heyman’s hand is all over things you’d never guess he touched.
Sean Ross Sapp cleared up the whole “Is Heyman involved with creative?” thing during a Fightful Select Q&A. And the answer? Yes, absolutely. Heyman jumps in with ideas, especially for the talent he’s managing on TV.
You’ll usually find him shaping personalities, tweaking promos, and making sure those stories hit harder. He’s got a reputation for mentoring talent he believes in, too. He doesn’t just offer generic advice; he genuinely invests in these people. At one point, he even joked that WWE sometimes holds back on pushing someone if he’s too publicly supportive. That pretty much says a lot about how much clout he’s got.
Currently, all the drama surrounding Heyman’s on-screen group has fans even more glued to what he’s up to. Remember Seth Rollins? He was leading The Vision until his injury last year left him out of the picture.
Then, at Elimination Chamber, Rollins ripped the mask off and went after Heyman’s crew, zeroing in on Logan Paul. Next thing you know, Rollins is attacking Heyman on RAW, making this rivalry even wilder and turning up the heat.
While all of that unfolded, Heyman spoke out about Bron Breakker’s recent setback. He didn’t sugarcoat anything when he called into Busted Open Radio to talk about Breakker’s hernia surgery. Breakker hurt himself so badly that he needed emergency surgery, and this was right when he was on the verge of a big WrestleMania moment. Did Heyman treat it like a tragedy, though? Not really.
He spun it as fuel for the fire, saying the frustration from being stuck on the sidelines could actually help Breakker come back even stronger. In his eyes, every day away just makes that hunger to return even bigger. With WrestleMania 42 coming up fast in Las Vegas, the real question is whether Breakker will heal up in time to make an impact.
