WWE Raw live results: Elimination Chamber go-home show

Date: February 24, 2025
Location: Heritage Bank Center in Cincinnati, OH 

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The Big Takeaway —

Cody Rhodes appeared on Raw to address The Rock’s offer but was interrupted by Seth Rollins, who issued a warning to Rhodes. (See more below.) 

Liv Morgan and Raquel Rodriguez won the Women’s Tag Team titles in a fun main event after Morgan pinned Naomi—thanks to plenty of interference by Dom. 

Penta suffered his first loss in WWE in a triple threat match where he was not pinned.

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Show Recap — 

Michael Cole announced a crowd of 12,259. The Women’s tag title match will be tonight’s main event. 

Cody Rhodes was among those shown arriving at the arena. 

Opening segment

Logan Paul entered to kick off Raw. He was booed by the crowd despite announcing he was also from Ohio. He said he was just like them, just better. He saw dreary, grey Cincinnati when he was landing on his jet and told his pilot to turn around, but he decided to go to Cincinnati after all to perform for the peasants because he was just that humble. 

The crowd booed, so he told them that they didn’t appreciate good talent. Just look at what they did to Joe Burrow. Paul beat Hall of Famer Rey Mysterio to qualify for the Chamber, and he will beat three doorknobs and John Cena before going on to WrestleMania to become the face of this company. 

CM Punk interrupted to a big reaction. Paul wondered what Punk’s problem was with him. He saw Punk’s subtweets and thought Punk was jealous because Paul was successful at everything he did, while Punk was a series of failures. 

Punk said he didn’t have a problem with Paul. But Paul was a dime a dozen. A loud-mouth kid who did stupid and ignorant things for the shock of it. Paul thought that made him a generational talent but he had no character or substance, and the fans deserved better. 

Paul said Punk’s return was one of the biggest ever, but he immediately crumbled under the pressure and got hurt. Paul said the fans were familiar with Stone Cold, Cena, and Punk, but that name (of the top guy) changed over time. It was just a matter of time before they were chanting Paul’s name. (The fans chanted for Punk.) 

Punk said Paul was wrong about a lot, but he was right that the names do change. All the names he mentioned were legends, including Punk. Punk made history when under pressure, but Paul never made history and was barely a flash in the pan. Paul wouldn’t be here long enough to be remembered. 

Punk planned on eliminating Paul from the Chamber. Punk would face Cody Rhodes and leave Las Vegas with the title. Punk would make history—and Paul would be history. Punk didn’t care if Rhodes thought he had to sell his soul to beat him because he would find out that Punk was Satan himself—and Paul was nobody. 

They got face-to-face until Paul slapped Punk. Paul immediately left the ring before Punk could retaliate. (And Punk couldn’t leave the ring, I guess.) Punk told him to run while he could because he’d be locked in a cage on Saturday. Punk would get his hands on him, and he would understand why the fans chanted his name.

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Triple threat match: Ludwig Kaiser defeated Pete Dunne and Penta (9:20) 

He didn’t get pinned, but Penta suffered his first loss in WWE. Cole kept calling this a first time ever triple threat match. That is true, but Penta also hasn’t wrestled anyone besides these two men in six weeks (aside from the Royal Rumble match). 

Kaiser and Dunne set something up in the corner, but Penta got underneath and brought them both down with a powerbomb. (The timing was unfortunate because the setup happened during a commercial, but the actual move happened during the split-second where the screen goes black before they come back. They did show a replay later.) 

Penta used a hurricanrana (sort of) to launch Dunne into Kaiser before wiping out both men with separate flip dives. (Kaiser had to stand around too long waiting for his.) Just about 6-7 minutes into the match, they got their third “This is awesome” chant.  Dunne managed to hit Penta with Bitter End, but Kaiser broke up the cover. 

Penta stepped off of a haunched over Kaiser and hit Dunne with a Canadian Destroyer. Penta superkicked Kaiser and set up Dunne for his finisher, but Kaiser chucked Penta out of the ring and hit Dunne with his finisher instead for the surprise pinfall win. 

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Jackie Redmond interviewed Rhea Ripley in the crowd. Ripley said she has never beaten Iyo Sky, but it’s been five years since they’ve wrestled. Since then, Ripley has become the most dominant woman in WWE. She’s beaten everyone from Becky Lynch to Charlotte Flair, and we can add Sky’s name to that list after next week. 

Sky joined to tell Ripley she would beat her again and go into WrestleMania as the Women’s World Champion. They got face-to-face. 

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New Day cut a promo during the break where they didn’t say anything new. They also waited around for boos and “New Day sucks” chants, but the crowd only barely played along. 

During this match, Cole plugged Matt & Jeff Hardy wrestling on tomorrow’s NXT. 

Kofi Kingston & Xavier Woods defeated Cruz Del Toro & Joaquin Wilde (5:27) 

LWO set up for a double-team move, but Kingston raked Del Toro’s eyes as Woods distracted the referee. Kingston tossed Wilde from the ring, and New Day gave Del Toro the UpUpDownDown (backbreaker/diving foot stomp combo) for the pinfall win. 

— Dragon Lee ran out to make the save, but New Day beat him up too. 

You can skip this. 

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Finn Bálor told Dominik Mysterio that last week was the most embarrassing day in the history of Judgment Day, and it was all Dom’s fault. Dom said Bálor only had a qualifying match because of him, but Bálor lost it. Dom said they needed a new member. 

Liv Morgan and Raquel Rodriguez interrupted. Morgan couldn’t believe they were still fighting. She said they had a big week coming up, including their tag title match tonight. Morgan said they would bring gold to Judgment Day, and that’s all that mattered. 

Bálor said they should be worried after what they did to Jade Cargill. Morgan said they were not involved, but they would still handle Bianca Belair and Naomi. Morgan told Bálor to get on the same page with Dom and help him against Bron Breakker. Bálor said they would handle their business, and Morgan said they would handle theirs. 

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Cathy Kelley interviewed AJ Styles during a break. Styles said he always had a target on his back, but that meant he was doing something right. Paul interrupted. Paul thought Styles was going to retire after getting hurt or after getting embarrassed by him in the Rumble. Styles said Paul did eliminate him, but that’s how the Rumble works. Styles invited him to try it again. Paul said he was too busy, but he admired Styles for not giving up, even though he probably should. 

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Members of the University of Cincinnati Bearcats football team were shown in the crowd. Adam “Pacman” Jones was shown, too, and he got a good reaction. 

Gunther promo 

Gunther entered. He said he would embarrass Jey Uso at WrestleMania and end the Yeet Circus once and for all. In the spirit of WrestleMania, Gunther told Adam Pearce that he would wrestle tonight against his own hand-picked opponent—Akira Tozawa. (When Gunther was shown entering the building earlier, he walked by Alpha Academy dancing for TikTok.) 

Gunther saw Tozawa dancing with the other two clowns, and that bothered him because they had things in common. They both uprooted their lives to make a career in WWE. They both got into the shape of their lives to prove they belonged. But Tozawa was wasted dancing like a goof for the degenerate fans. He made the wrong choice, just like Jey, and Jey’s choice would cost him his career. 

Gunther recalled what McAfee said last week, that anything could happen on any given night. Tozawa had a chance to earn his respect tonight. Gunther told Tozawa to earn his respect and started shoving him. The ref chose this moment to ring the bell. 

World Heavyweight Champion Gunther defeated Akira Tozawa via ref stoppage in a non-title match (2:50) 

Tozawa attacked Gunther as soon as the bell rang in retaliation. He had Gunther off-guard for a moment until Gunther booted him and killed him with a chop. Gunther tried a powerbomb but Tozawa countered into a victory roll for a nearfall. Tozawa came off the top but Gunther caught him and applied a Boston Crab until Tozawa got a rope break. 

Tozawa tried to fight back with chops, but Gunther planted him with a powerbomb. He had it won but lifted Tozawa off the mat at the two count. Gunther put Tozawa in a sleeper—and had Tozawa off his feet. Tozawa passed out, and the referee called for the bell. 

— Gunther went after Tozawa after the match, so Otis jumped in to make the save. Gunther shoved Otis, who began gyrating, so Gunther left the ring. As Otis checked on Tozawa, Gunther slipped back in and put him in a sleeper until Jey Uso ran out (to his music) to chase away Gunther.

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There was a video package for the Women’s Chamber match, highlighting each wrestler. 

Lyra Valkyria defeated Dakota Kai to retain the Women’s Intercontinental Championship (7:40) 

Valkyria hit a delayed superplex (off the middle rope) following a break. The previously quiet crowd chanted, “Holy sh*t,” and they were into the match from here. Kai came back with a scorpion kick, and they traded cradles for a series of two counts until Valkyria bridged out of a jackknife cover and hit a powerbomb for two. 

Valkyria came off the top, but Kai caught her with a superkick. Kai followed with a running boot and a Kai-ropractor for two. They fought for position on the ropes until Valkyria slipped out and gave Kai a Nightwing for the pinfall win. 

(This was short but good for the time they had.) 

— Valkyria embraced a disappointed Kai after the match. 

As Kai was leaving, Ivy Nile attacked her from behind and tossed her into the barricade. Nile laid out Valkyria in the ring and posed with the IC title belt. 

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There was a video package for Sami Zayn vs. Kevin Owens. 

Sami Zayn sit-down interview 

Redmond interviewed Sami Zayn (earlier today). She mentioned Owens’ video that he recorded from outside Zayn’s house. Redmond said something else happened this past week, and she asked if Zayn would share what it was. 

Zayn said he went to Owens’ house. Owens wasn’t home, but his mother was. She invited him in, and they caught up. It was great to see her, and she was in good spirits. 

Zayn got home that night and was ashamed of himself. He couldn’t look himself in the mirror because he didn’t recognize the man who went to Owens’ house. He didn’t know what his intentions were, but they weren’t good. 

Zayn and Owens have gone through a lot over the years, but family has never been involved. Zayn didn’t recognize himself, and he didn’t recognize Owens. That’s why this one was different. They were in a different headspace now. 

He understood why WWE wouldn’t sanction the match. He admitted his neck wasn’t where he wanted to be right now, but they should be worried about what he does to Owens. This match would be worse than anything they’ve done to each other in the past. Owens better be ready because it was going to be a bad time. 

This was great. 

******* 

Bayley was interviewed during a break until she was interrupted by Roxanne Perez. Bayley told Perez she could envision seeing her at WrestleMania—just not this year. 

Belair and Naomi cut a pre-taped promo on Morgan and Rodriguez. 

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Non-title match: Intercontinental Champion Bron Breakker defeated Dominik Mysterio (w/Finn Bálor & Carlito) via disqualification (3:16) 

Bron was firmly in control until one distraction too many allowed Dom to hit a springboard senton. Another distraction allowed Dom to hit a 619. Dom set up for a frog splash, but Bron hit a Frankensteiner (and the crowd barked for Bron). 

Bron set up for a spear but was yanked out of the ring by Bálor and Carlito for the DQ. 

— Judgment Day put the boots to Bron after the match. Bálor went looking for a chair, so Bron tossed Dom from the ring and speared Carlito. Bálor tried to attack from behind, but Bron caught him and got in his face. Bálor slunk out of the ring. 

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There was a video recap of the Cody Rhodes/Rock segment from Smackdown. 

They showed the logo for WrestleMania 42 next year in New Orleans, and the logo actually has the number in it. Hopefully, that stays. 

There was a New Day promo during commercials. They were already in their street clothes because they couldn’t wait to leave Cincinnati. They announced they were going on vacation next week in Costa Rica and told everyone to thank God for The New Day. 

The Creed Brothers hyped up Ivy Nile backstage. Kelley asked if Nile was trying to angle herself back into the IC title picture. That’s obviously what she was doing, and Nile responded, “Of course.” Nile said the Creeds were going after the tag belts next week, and she would beat up Valkyria every week until she got a title match. The War Raiders attacked the Creeds and officials frantically tried separating them. 

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Cody Rhodes/Seth Rollins segment 

Rhodes entered to a strong reaction. He didn’t ask what they wanted to talk about because he knew what he was supposed to talk about. 

He pondered what it meant to ask for another man’s soul. That might seem abstract, but having grown up in this business, he understood the offer The Rock was making. It was Good Guy 101, not to lie to the fans. He had never lied to them before and wasn’t starting now. 

He was an incredibly blessed man. He was not a team of one, and this decision would not affect him alone. He had his lovely wife, Brandi, his daughter, his sister and her family, little Brodie and the Nightmare Factory, two nephews breaking into the industry with the last name Rhodes, his mother, and the memory of his father. The crowd chanted for Dusty. 

Dusty worked into his 60s in the independent wrestling circuit, breaking his body to make ends meet, and he did not want that memory to mirror his future. The Rock was saying he could have everything without having to scratch, fight and claw. 

Seth Rollins interrupted. He said this was the first time they were in the ring together in nearly a year—since WrestleMania 40. He would love for this to be a moment of celebration. Rollins wanted to congratulate him and tell him he couldn’t wait to face him at WrestleMania after he won the Chamber. But that’s not why he’s here. 

Rollins asked Rhodes what the hell he was thinking. They stood side-by-side a year ago, going against The Bloodline. Against The Rock. And now Rock was back asking to be his champion. The fact that Rhodes didn’t slap Rock in the face was a slap in Rollins’ face. Rollins told him not to make him regret what he sacrificed to help Rhodes win the title. Rollins wondered if being champion was becoming too much of a burden for Rhodes. 

Rhodes said he wished this conversation was going differently. He wanted to show gratitude, but Rollins was being awfully judgmental. Rock showed up to ask Rhodes for his soul, but Rock wouldn’t ask Rollins for his because it may already be compromised. Rhodes knew who Rollins was. Rollins hit Rhodes in the back with a sledgehammer. He turned on the Shield and saddled up with the Authority, running people like Rhodes out of WWE. 

Rhodes also knew that Rollins was his shield at WrestleMania 40. Rollins was his partner and his brother. With one leg and a scrambled back, Rollins helped him gain his family’s biggest dream and was the MVP of WrestleMania 40. 

Rollins said he wasn’t there to judge Rhodes. He wanted to protect Rhodes from making the same mistakes he did. Rollins has been filled with hate. That hate was pointed in the direction of Roman Reigns and CM Punk. Rollins didn’t want to hate Rhodes, too, but Rhodes was a grown man and could do whatever he wanted. 

Rollins planned on winning the Chamber and did not want to face a soulless shell of Cody Rhodes. He wanted to face the man who returned to WWE and beat him at WrestleMania. The man who beat him with one arm. 

Rollins wasn’t coming for Rhodes’ soul, but he was coming for the title. 

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Next week on Raw in Buffalo: 

• Rhea Ripley vs. IYO SKY for the Women’s World Championship 
• The War Raiders vs. The Creed Brothers for the World Tag Team Championships

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Liv Morgan & Raquel Rodriguez defeated Bianca Belair & Naomi to win the Women’s Tag Team Championships (12:12) 

Belair and Naomi attacked Morgan and Rodriguez before the match, immediately following the in-ring introductions. They beat up Morgan around ringside, and the ref decided to start the match once they were back in the ring, with Morgan down on her hands and knees and both babyfaces in the ring at once. Belair beat up Morgan until Rodriguez managed to save her. 

Rodriguez held control during a break, but Belair hit a 450 splash after the break for a nearfall (one of her knees seemed to catch Raquel right on the chin). Belair set up for KOD, but Rodriguez raked her eyes. Morgan tagged in, and they hit a double-team elevated Codebreaker for a nearfall. 

Morgan went for Oblivion, but Belair caught her. Belair and Naomi set up for a double KOD, but Dom ran down to ringside to distract the referee. Rodriguez broke up the double-team, and Morgan hit Naomi with an Oblivion for a nearfall. Belair speared Rodriguez. 

Naomi gave Morgan a jawbreaker, and Belair hit Morgan with KOD moments later, but Rodriguez broke up the cover. Belair and Naomi gave Morgan a double KOD, but Dom put Morgan’s leg on the rope to break up the cover. The ref had to pretend he didn’t see this. 

Belair went after Dom, but Rodriguez slammed her on the announce table. Naomi used a slingshot dive to wipe out Rodriguez. Morgan caught Naomi in a rollup for a nearfall back in the ring. (The crowd was really into all of these nearfalls.) 

Naomi hit a Rear View, but Dom got on the apron, so Naomi knocked him down into the ring. As the ref got rid of Dom, Naomi set up for a moonsault, but Rodriguez blocked it and smashed Naomi’s face against the ring post, and she collapsed in the ring. Morgan crawled into a cover for the pinfall win. 

Fireworks went off as the champs celebrated with Dom and their titles. Morgan and Rodriguez are now the first three-time Women’s tag team champions. Cole really put over the year Morgan was having, which could get even bigger with a Chamber win on Saturday. 

(There was probably too much interference from Dom, especially since some of it seemed unnecessary, but this was still a fun and chaotic match, and the fans were super into it.)