5 Ups & 6 Downs From WWE Raw After WrestleMania 42 (Results & Review)

The Raw after WrestleMania didn't feel like the Raw after WrestleMania.

Roman Reigns
WWE.com

Roman Reigns wasn't fibbing when he said he'd be around a whole hell of a lot more often during the WrestleMania 42 post-show fun. The new World Heavyweight Champion is someone creative badly needed to commit, and he has. On Raw, in front of a giddy crowd in Las Vegas, Roman revealed what's coming next.

He has a run-in with family. This time, it's Jacob Fatu.

The difference between 'Mania 42's first and second nights was clear for all to see over the weekend. Saturday felt like too much TKO meddling and like matches filling in gaps between ads/Hulk Hogan documentary teasers, but Sunday earned huge plaudits for pulling the nose up and making sure fans were in high spirits coming out of the PLE.

Raw didn't quite continue the party atmosphere, but it did have a few notable tidbits. Fatu confronting Reigns felt big, and so did Oba Femi announcing to the world that he's going to be a focal point around these parts for a long, long time to come. Several NXT stars also got to make a splash on the main roster, and more are on the way next week.

Back on the negative side, something just felt off throughout the entire show. CM Punk no-selling his Sunday night loss was a...choice, so was WWE pretending that the brand split means anything in April 2026, and a few feuds continued when they should've ended on the grandest stage days ago.

Here's all the yes and no from a Raw after 'Mania that didn't feel like the Raw after 'Mania.

Advertisement
Contributor

Lifelong wrestling, video game, music and sports obsessive who has been writing about his passions since childhood. Jamie started writing for WhatCulture in 2013, and has contributed thousands of articles and YouTube videos since then. He cut his teeth penning published pieces for top UK and European wrestling read Fighting Spirit Magazine (FSM), and also has extensive experience working within the wrestling biz as a manager and commentator for promotions like ICW on WWE Network and WCPW/Defiant since 2010. Further, Jamie also hosted the old Ministry Of Slam podcast, and has interviewed everyone from Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels to Bret Hart and Trish Stratus.