HIGHLIGHTS
- Gunther opened Raw by declaring he will make John Cena tap out at Saturday Night’s Main Event on December 13
- The masked man returned to attack Rey Mysterio, costing him his match against Finn Bálor
- AJ Styles and Dragon Lee retained the WWE World Tag Team Championship over the War Raiders.
Gunther trash talk and the return of the masked man from Survivor Series. Those were the two biggest takeaways from tonight’s episode of Monday Night Raw.
Gunther established his objective ahead of his upcoming match with John Cena at Saturday Night’s Main Event on Dec. 13 in Washington, D.C. The Ring General will attempt to send the GOAT out on a loss. To open the show on Monday night in Kansas City, Gunther made his intentions clear. He’s not simply looking to defeat Cena. Gunther plans to make Cena tap out.
Gunther has established yet another finishing maneuver—a take on the STF—and the story is building toward the former World Heavyweight champion using it to make Cena submit. Would WWE really allow Cena’s career to end with a submission loss? That’s exactly what WWE hopes to get us to wonder about. Here’s a breakdown of everything that happened on Raw.
WWE Raw Results – December 8, 2025
- WWE World Tag Team Championship: AJ Styles & Dragon Lee (c) def. The War Raiders (Erik & Ivar)
- Singles Match: Finn Bálor vs. Rey Mysterio (It didn’t happen. Mysterio attacked by Logan Paul and Mystery Man before the match).
- Singles Match: Roxanne Perez def. Lyra Valkyria
- Singles Match: IYO SKY def. Kairi Sane
AJ Styles and Dragon Lee Retain
The tag team title match delivered exactly what you’d expect from these four. The War Raiders ground Styles down early, using their size and power advantage to isolate the Phenomenal One. Dragon Lee provided the hot tag late and brought the pace back up.
The finish came when Styles hit a Phenomenal Forearm on Ivar to lock in the pinfall victory. Styles and Dragon Lee have new challengers. The Usos stepped up after the match and made their intentions clear.
Unless this sets up a Jey Uso turn, it makes no sense. Jey seemed irked by Jimmy’s clunky promo, but we’ll see. The New Day were also on hand, so it appears we could see a massive tag-team match between all six men coming up soon.
Masked Man Costs Rey Mysterio
Rey Mysterio vs. Finn Bálor was positioned as another chapter in the LWO vs. Judgment Day war. Rey has been laser-focused on getting to his son Dominik and that Intercontinental Championship, and a win over Bálor would have kept that momentum going.
It didn’t happen.
The masked man—the same one who attacked CM Punk at Survivor Series—struck again before the match started. The assault began with Logan Paul who had beef with Mysterio since the legend slapped his face last week.
Here is a look at the segment.
The mystery continues, but the clues are piling up. Austin Theory remains the prime suspect. The build has been slow and deliberate, but at some point WWE has to pull the trigger on the reveal. Whether that comes before Saturday Night’s Main Event or after is anyone’s guess.
Roxanne Perez Gets the Win
Roxanne Perez and Lyra Valkyria delivered a competitive match that showcased the next wave of women’s talent on Raw. Both came up through NXT together and know each other’s tendencies, which made for a tight, well-paced bout.
Roxanne picked up the win after some outside chaos and distraction. The finish teased friction between Lyra and her ally Bayley, which could become a storyline worth watching. For now, this gives Judgment Day momentum in the women’s division.
IYO SKY Pins Kairi Sane
IYO SKY pinned Women’s Tag Team Champion Kairi Sane after a German suplex and Over the Moonsault. This was one of the standout matches of the night from a pure in-ring perspective.
The win puts IYO in line for a future title shot and plants seeds of friction within the Kabuki Warriors. Whether WWE pulls the trigger on that tension remains to be seen, but the story is there if they want it.
Stephanie Vaquer Addresses What’s Next
Stephanie Vaquer cut a backstage promo following her successful title defense at Survivor Series. La Primera reacted to the outcome of Roxanne vs. Lyra and positioned herself as ready for anyone heading into the next premium live event cycle.
With Liv Morgan lurking and the women’s division stacking up with credible challengers, Vaquer’s dance card should fill up quickly.
Raquel Rodriguez smoked Nikki Bella with a sneak attack. I love this because it blurs the lines between heels and faces. It’s great when that happens.
Biggest Fallout
When will Theory be revealed as the Masked Man? Will Cena make an actual appearance at SmackDown—or even NXT—this week before Saturday Night’s Main Event? We’ll see, but the GOAT’s finale is set up to be epic.
