WWE Raw emanated from the Forest National in Brussels, Belgium on March 17, 2025, delivering an action-packed show on the road to WrestleMania 41. Here are the key takeaways from today’s episode:
John Cena’s Magnetic Heel Turn
The show opened with John Cena making his first appearance since his shocking heel turn at Elimination Chamber. Despite turning heel, Cena maintained his traditional look and music, receiving nuclear heat from the Brussels crowd with chants of “John Cena sucks” and even some uncensored “F*** you Cena” chants.
Cena portrayed himself as the victim of an “abusive relationship” with fans for 25 years, claiming they made it easy for him to turn his back on them. His promo was met with intense hostility from the European crowd, creating an electric atmosphere reminiscent of ECW One Night Stand 2005.
Cody Rhodes eventually confronted Cena, reminding him that while fans gave him their worst, they also gave him their best. Rhodes demanded to be addressed as the “Undisputed WWE Champion” and declared that at WrestleMania 41, he wanted to fight the legend, not “this whiny b*tch”.
Championship Matches and Developments
Intercontinental Championship: Bron Breakker successfully defended his title against Finn Balor in the main event. Balor nearly had the match won until Dominik Mysterio accidentally knocked him from the top rope, allowing Breakker to hit a spear for the victory. Post-match, Penta confronted Breakker, setting up a potential future title match.
Women’s World Championship: A contract signing between champion IYO SKY and Bianca Belair descended into chaos when Rhea Ripley made a surprise appearance. Ripley head-butted Belair and powerbombed SKY onto Belair through a table (which didn’t break), then signed the contract herself before leaving.
Notable Matches and Segments
- Penta def. Ludwig Kaiser in a brutal No Holds Barred match that featured a Death Valley Driver onto the announcer’s desk and a devastating Back Drop. Post-match, Penta declared his intention to pursue the Intercontinental Championship.
- Dakota Kai def. Ivy Nile after the LWO (Rey Mysterio and Dragon Lee) distracted American Made, chasing Chad Gable through the crowd.
- Jey Uso squashed Austin Theory in seconds, followed by a confrontation with World Heavyweight Champion GUNTHER. After escaping GUNTHER’s rear-naked choke, Jey momentarily seized the champion’s title before tossing it back to him.
- Rey Mysterio & Dragon Lee def. The Creed Brothers. Post-match, a masked luchador (implied to be Chad Gable) attacked the LWO with a series of lucha maneuvers.
- Seth Rollins delivered a promo announcing that he would be heading to SmackDown this Friday in Bologna, Italy, where both CM Punk and Roman Reigns are scheduled to appear.
The European crowd was electric throughout the show, creating a special atmosphere as WWE continues its build toward WrestleMania 41.
