‘Delayed but not denied’: How Mega Ran went from substitute teacher to living out his WrestleMania dreams

Pro wrestling is full of stories of perseverance, and as nerdcore star Mega Ran has proven, that doesn’t only mean in the ring.

Back on April 7, nerdcore rapper Mega Ran was fortunate enough to live out the dream of wrestling fans around the world: Participating in WrestleMania.

Ran accomplished this feat by being a last-minute addition to the orchestra that played Roman Reigns’ cinematic theme song during his epic entrance before the main event.

To top it off, Ran was able to live out this dream-turned-reality in his hometown of Philadelphia. In reality, where Ran stood was merely 15 miles from where he grew up. But the moment of him standing on stage during the main event of WrestleMania could not have been further from his humble beginnings.

How did this happen? How did the kid born Raheem Jarbo from the West Oak Lane neighborhood of Philadelphia go from a substitute teacher to a nerdcore icon who now has a WrestleMania main event under his belt?

“I didn’t quit,” Ran told USA Today’s Wrestling Junkie while doing the very Philly activity of hanging out in a cheesesteak shop — in this case Ishkabibbles on South Street. 

The sound of spatulas clanging against a flat-top grill was the perfect soundtrack for Ran to tell his story, an underdog story, a Philadelphia story.

“It has been a journey, but Philly’s definitely made me.”


In October of 2021, Mega Ran released his 11th solo album titled “Live ’95,” in homage to the revered EA Sports basketball game “NBA Live ‘95.” One of the singles from the album is appropriately named “1995 (Generation of Miracles),” which transports listeners to Ran’s life at that point.

In 1995, Ran was another one of many Philly-area high school students looking toward their collegiate future. In this case, the graduate of Martin Luther King High School was headed for Penn State University, where he eventually earned a degree in African American Studies.

While it was undoubtedly a major accomplishment, it was one that left him with few paths toward a career. According to Ran’s academic advisor, he essentially had two options: Teach African American history or run a museum … of African American history. 

Ran chose the former and joined Teach for America, an organization that recruits and trains young teachers before placing them in low-staffed schools across the country.

Some of those schools reside in low-income, high-crime neighborhoods. For Ran, that meant being initially placed at Roberto Clemente Middle School in North Philadelphia, traditionally one of the city’s more violent areas despite a slight decrease in 2023

Ran walked into a class full of eighth-grade students who all knew what it meant when a substitute teacher walked into the classroom: It’s a free day. Ran attempted to salvage the situation by checking for the lesson plans the regular teacher is supposed to leave behind. However, there were no lesson plans to be found.

“So what were y’all doing last week?” Ran asked the students.

“Nothing,” they answered.

“These kids are not being prepared for life, I gotta do what I can,” he remembered. “Man, it was rough.”

Ran admits that he was unable to get the class to do a complete 180-degree turn like the one you would see in a movie that ends with a freeze frame, but noted that he is still proud of the progress he was able to make, as he felt the students gained a “zest for learning.”

“It really showed me that teaching is maybe the most rewarding career, except for the one I got now,” Ran said. “Being a dad and being a musician that gets to make music based on my fandoms, that’s probably the most rewarding.”

“I want to do stuff that’s rewarding,” he later said. “Time on this planet is limited so I want to do things that make me feel good and that can make others feel good. If it ain’t teaching, then for me it’s creating.”

Today, Ran has fully moved on from teaching in a traditional classroom setting. However, his desire to help others remains.

“It doesn’t dim your light to help somebody shine,” he said.


A black and white photo of Mega Ran smiling outside of Ishkabibbles on South Street in Philadelphia.
Photo credit: Adam Barnard

Teaching is what paid the bills, but Ran always had a love for music. He grew up listening to KRS-One, Rakim, Wu-Tang Clan, Redman, MF Doom, and of course, Philly legends such as Beanie Siegel and Freeway.

Ran followed in their footsteps by making his own music, except it wasn’t about living life in the fast lane like his idols. He wanted to rap about something he was truly passionate about: video games.

In 2007, he released a self-titled album that, like his name, was inspired by the classic platform action game, “Mega Man.”

The album garnered the attention of hip-hop heads and gamers alike, eventually landing on the radar of the company that created the wildly-successful video game series and many others, Capcom.

Capcom offered Ran a licensing deal, which he accepted, which opened the door for him to perform at San Diego Comic-Con in 2007.

However, the newfound fame wasn’t enough to make Ran leave teaching, as that was still paying the bills. At least it was until he was laid off.

Ran attempted to take on as many music gigs as possible, but eventually, money ran low, and he had to make his way back to teaching.

But in 2011, Ran had another online hit on his hands. This time it was his album that was in homage to “Final Fantasy VII” called “Black Materia: Final Fantasy VII.” 

The album was especially beloved on Reddit, which helped boost Ran’s album sales at literally an alarming rate. The sound of Ran’s PayPal going off on his phone after every album sale eventually became a distraction for his classroom. But those constant disruptions also meant he had earned enough money to pay his rent within 24 hours.

A second successful album garnered even more attention, this time from nerdcore hip-hop legend MC Chris, who offered Ran a chance to join him on his tour. That meant more experience on stage and more money in Ran’s pocket from music on a consistent basis.

With the encouragement of his mother, Ran put in his two weeks notice as a teacher and has been a full-time musician ever since. While there have been obstacles along the way, he’s simply kept going.

“I held tight, did this tour, became a better performer with each show, it just kept working out, and here I am,” he said. “I ain’t never been back.”

“The fact that I’ve been able to do this for 12, 13 years, it’s pretty insane,” he added.

In the decade-plus since, Ran has appeared on everything from video games albums to episodes of Smackdown.

Why? How? According to Ran, it is his connection with his fans. Throughout his career, he has made it a point to bond with them.

“It’s the intangibles,” he said. “You can be really dope at what you do, but I tell silly jokes online. I share the struggles. I share the wins. I share the successes. I share the Ls.”

“I’m very open with my audience,” he added. “I treat them like friends. I don’t even call them fans. I call them family, because they’re the people who have been there when I depended on them when my family wasn’t.”


Creating bonds with people has carried Ran to heights he never thought possible in his career. During WrestleMania week, he got to share the stage with Siegel and Freeway while they performed at WaleMania.

One of those bonds also helped him live out his wrestling dream.

In 2006, Ran was putting the final touches on a song called “Push” and thought the beat could use a little bit of saxophone.

He went to Craigslist hoping to find a saxophonist and hear back from someone named Frank Machos. Ran and Machos enjoyed working together so much that they have remained friends in the years since, supporting each other’s endeavors along the way.

“I am a genuine fan of his work,” Machos told USA Today via text. “Not only the content he creates, which I tend to appreciate, but the way he’s carved a career for himself in the industry and how he continues to evolve and shift, but always to new areas he is equally passionate about.”

Fast forward to 2024, and Ran receives a call from Machos offering him an opportunity. Machos is now the executive director of the School District of Philadelphia’s Office of the Arts and Creative Learning and was working with WWE on assembling a children’s orchestra for Reigns’ entrance.

“In the midst of the craziness of pulling together our performance for WrestleMania, I caught Mega Ran’s social media posts about his events through the week in Philly,” Machos recounted via text.

“I wasn’t able to get out to any of the events and couldn’t say much about our involvement pre-show, but Sunday morning on my way down to the Linc (Lincoln Financial Field), I dropped him a text to say if he found himself in and around backstage, we would be on site with the students for a small performance and to swing over to say ‘What’s up?'”

Ran told Machos that he didn’t have much planned, but Machos was about to change all of that.

“I said he could meet us in 30 minutes and wear all black, I can use a few fill-ins for the orchestra to cover for last minute drop outs,” Machos remembered.

According to Machos, Ran arrived 32 minutes later.

Thanks to Machos, Ran was able to combine his passion for music, teaching, and wrestling on the industry’s biggest stage.

“It’s a dream. It’s an absolute dream,” Ran said.

Don’t expect an international WrestleMania any time soon

WWE president Nick Khan says the “big five” WWE PLEs are going to stay in North America for the time being.

Last summer at Money in the Bank, John Cena thrilled WWE fans in the U.K. by saying he’d try his best to get a WrestleMania in London. While it was an idea that certainly played well to that crowd, it’s one that looks like it will have to wait, as WWE has no plans to host a WrestleMania outside North America any time soon.

The same goes for the other “Big Five” premium live events: Royal Rumble, SummerSlam, Survivor Series and Money in the Bank. Speaking at the CAA World Congress of Sports in Los Angeles on Wednesday, WWE president Nick Khan explained that the plan in place is to keep WWE’s biggest marquee events in North America while holding other PLEs in international markets where possible (h/t Sports Business Journal).

“We sat down together a few years ago and decided, so the big five premium live events … should be in the United States or Canada,” Khan said. “All of the other events, the goal is to have them from international locations.”

WWE made its first steps toward more international PLEs over the last two years, holding Clash at the Castle in Wales in the fall of 2022 and the aforementioned Money in the Bank in England last summer. Its strategy has really kicked into high gear this year, with three upcoming shows scheduled for international markets: Backlash in France in May, Clash at the Castle in Scotland in June, and Bash in Berlin in August. Those are on top of the two annual Saudi Arabian events WWE has done for several years, only one of which (King and Queen of the Ring on May 25) has so far been announced for 2024.

While WWE has been enjoying record-setting success almost every time its held an international PLE as of late, there are factors working against an overseas WrestleMania — not the least of which is the time zone factor, which would mean either using an unusual local start to keep the two-night event in its normal Saturday and Sunday time slot in the U.S. or seeing if fans would watch in the same numbers at an unusual time here.

WWE has yet to announce the location or date of WrestleMania 41, with Minneapolis and Las Vegas said to be among the cities under consideration.

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WrestleMania 41 sounds like it’s almost definitely changing dates next year

Don’t look for WrestleMania 41 to be up against the Final Four in 2025.

WrestleMania has been held either on the first or second weekend in April for most of the last two decades, with only an occasional foray into the last weekend of March. That could be changing as soon as next year for WrestleMania 41.

One of the big pieces of news expected during WrestleMania 40 week earlier this month was the date and location of next year’s event. Philadelphia’s Lincoln Financial Field was announced as the venue nearly two years ahead of the event, so to go this long without a reveal for 2025 ranks as a genuine surprise.

The big difference, however, is that this is the first time WWE is arranging a WrestleMania site in the TKO era. And there are signs that some things are changing.

WWE president Nick Khan says the date for WrestleMania 41 might change because the company would prefer not going head to head with the Final Four of the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament. Night 1 of WrestleMania 40 took place at the exact same time as this year’s semifinals, a conflict that’s been an issue ever since WWE’s biggest event expanded to two nights.

Via Arash Markazi of The Sporting Tribune and ESPN 1090:

Moving one weekend forward seems like the easiest solution. The 2025 Final Four takes place on April 5 and 7, so WrestleMania 41 could settle in on April 12-13. Several sports reporters noted that those dates would put it up against the last two rounds of The Masters golf tournament, though that would be more of a corporate hospitality issue than anything else since golf rounds are generally complete before WrestleMania cards are starting up.

The following weekend would also be possible though would run into NBA and NHL playoff games, while moving back into March puts it smack up against the earlier rounds of the college basketball tournaments.

It may all come down to which sports competition bothers WWE the least, but the takeaway here is that TKO isn’t married to the traditional date for WrestleMania, making the upcoming announcement, whenever it takes place, that much more intriguing.

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Vince McMahon ‘hasn’t had any contact with company leaders’ since leaving WWE

A comprehensive look into Vince McMahon’s life since resigning from WWE found no evidence that he’s plotting a return.

According to a comprehensive look at his life after WWE by NBC News, Vince McMahon is spending his time taking trips to Turks and Caicos and Italy, eating at his favorite New York City spots and chatting with Donald Trump.

One thing he’s not doing? Talking to anyone in a position of authority in WWE, including Triple H.

McMahon still has an office at WWE headquarters in Stamford, Conn., which the sources quoted for the article say is “unoccupied but otherwise intact.” But he hasn’t used it since he resigned from TKO, the company formed by the merger of WWE and UFC under the auspices of Endeavor, in January.

It might not be surprising to learn that McMahon hasn’t spoken with Endeavor’s leadership. Reports in early February suggested that Endeavor CEO Ari Emanuel and COO and president Mark Shapiro both told McMahon it would be in the best interest of the company if he resigned in the wake of the explosive allegations made in the Janel Grant sex trafficking lawsuit.

What may be more difficult for anyone who has followed WWE for any length of time to believe is that McMahon isn’t trying to pull any strings from a distance — something he’s done before. Not so this time, according to NBC’s sources.

That also means McMahon hasn’t talked to his son-in-law, WWE creative chief and former superstar Paul “Triple H” Levesque, or daughter, Stephanie McMahon-Levesque, regarding company matters, sources said.

That’s probably a big factor in the tone of most of the people NBC talked to for their piece, who feel that McMahon is gone for good this time. Reporting from a number of outlets has suggested that’s the case, but given his perseverance in the face of previous scandals, it’s become one of those “seeing is believing” deals.

For now, at least, that’s what people close to McMahon are indeed seeing.

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Jake Paul in WWE by SummerSlam? Why Corey Graves thinks it’s possible

Corey Graves pointed to SummerSlam in Cleveland and noted the ties that Logan and Jake Paul have to that city.

WWE fans have grown to appreciate — albeit grudgingly in some cases — the way Logan Paul has acclimated to pro wrestling so quickly. Could the same go for his younger brother Jake Paul? WWE commentator Corey Graves thinks so.

To date, Jake Paul’s only WWE appearances have come while supporting Logan, as he did at Crown Jewel in the fall of 2022. But Graves believes that not only will the social media star and boxer follow his sibling to WWE, he may even do it in the next few months.

Appearing on The Gunz Show podcast, Graves pointed out that Jake Paul is currently training for a high profile and mush discussed boxing match with Mike Tyson. But after that, he believes the 27-year-old could turn up by one of WWE’s biggest events of the year (h/t Fightful for the transcription).

If I’m being totally honest, I would start counting down the minutes before Jake shows up. I don’t think it’s going to happen anytime soon with the Tyson fight looming, but on a long enough timeline, we have to have the Paul brothers competing in the tag division at least once or twice. It just dawned on me that SummerSlam is in Cleveland this year. That’s where the Paul brothers hail from. I’m just saying. I don’t know anything, I’m just theorizing and putting it out into the universe. Maybe Jake Paul will be in WWE sooner rather than later.

The Cleveland connection is hard to ignore, as WWE (and pro wrestling companies in general, to be fair) has had tremendous success utilizing celebrities and stars from other sports in their hometown markets. SummerSlam would almost certainly be too early for Jake Paul to have a full-fledged match, but the idea of him doing something there that would start the ball rolling on a full-time role with the company doesn’t seem too far-fetched at all.

That’s good news for anyone curious to see if the Paul family lightning can strike twice, though it’s probably less thrilling for those who find Logan’s antics annoying. Still, given that Jake Paul also has a large existing fan base and knowing how well that worked out for his brother, it wouldn’t be surprising at all if Graves is on point about him showing up before the end of the year.

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ICYMI: Sami Zayn made the best ring entrance in Raw history

There’s coming through the crowd, and then there’s what Sami Zayn did this week on WWE Raw in Montreal.

WWE is making impressive improvements to its TV presentation this year that have reached premium live events and its weekly shows alike. That includes Raw, and I’m sorry to say that if you didn’t catch this week’s episode, you missed hometown hero Sami Zayn make the most spectacular ring entrance in the show’s long history in Montreal.

Before we get to the footage, some back story. Jey Uso had just defeated Finn Balor in the night’s penultimate match, and because he had previously told Cody Rhodes he didn’t want any backup, he was jumped by all of The Judgment Day after the final bell. Jey managed to escape the attack by heading up into the crowd, ultimately pushing forward to the concourse of the Bell Centre.

Uso just kept going and (after shoving aside one fan who got too close to him on the way) ended up outside the building … where he was surprised to find Zayn. Sami told Jey that the first wrestling show he ever saw was in that same building, and he wanted to enter as champion the same way he did “all those years ago, right through the front door.”

The continuous take that began with Uso leaving then followed Zayn on his way to the ring, through legions of adoring fans. Check it out here and see if you can remember any Raw entrance that topped this one.

The creativity that the WWE production team has been showing with Paul “Triple H” Levesque at the helm of creative has been something to see, further emphasizing that this is a new era of the company’s product. With hints that even more changes and experiments are on the way once Netflix becomes the new home of Raw in 2025, it’s possible that Zayn’s best entrance ever might not stay that way for all that long.

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Every No. 1 WWE Draft pick through the years

Who deserved to go No. 1? Who was a surprise when they were picked? We go back through the entire history of WWE Draft top picks.

Is it an honor to get drafted, whether it’s in traditional sports or WWE? Sure. But there’s something to be said for being the No. 1 pick.

The WWE Draft is, of course, not the same thing as a pro sports draft, in the sense that it’s done all for entertainment value. It’s not GMs or authority figures sitting around and selecting the best available wrestler, as much fun as that would be.

Still, most years the WWE Draft has been around, the No. 1 overall pick has been a big name, someone you would actually build a wrestling brand around. And even the years when it wasn’t, it’s fun to look back and say, “Wow, really?”

So let’s do that now. Scroll down for a look at every WWE Draft No. 1 pick in history, from the initial WWF draft lottery in 2002 up through the most recent edition.

All the hints in the latest Uncle Howdy tease (we think)

Here’s what the latest QR code on WWE Raw contains in the way of messages hinting toward the return of Uncle Howdy.

If you’ve been watching WWE programming since WrestleMania 40, you’ve likely seen or read about glitches that have been popping up on monitors and graphics reminiscent of when the late Bray Wyatt made his last WWE return in the fall of 2022. The assumption is that these are teases for the return of Bo Dallas as Uncle Howdy, though that’s still conjecture at this point.

The latest of these Easter eggs came during the April 15 episode of Raw, when a QR code popped up during the entrance of The New Day.

Quick thinking viewers and wrestling journalists were able to reveal a number of interesting tidbits for those who followed the QR code:

  • It displayed the image seen above, with the file name “PATIENCE_ItsAlmostTime.jpg”
  • A message in the source code for the page the QR code leads to reads “An open door is a welcome that makes a stranger into a friend.” (h/t @itsbybansheee for that)
  • A video plays with the messages “TIME TO WAKE UP … TAKE MY HAND … THINGS WILL BE BETTER … TRUST ME” followed by some symbols

The file name clue, in particular, means we could be seeing Dallas/Howdy soon, and given the love the WWE fandom still holds for Wyatt, he should be greeted warmly if and when he appears.

Rhea Ripley injury update: Out for ‘quite a few months,’ vacates world championship

Rhea Ripley said she’d be back for blood against whoever ends up Women’s World Champion, as well as Liv Morgan.

When Rhea Ripley came out to kick off WWE Raw on April 15, the sight of her with a sling on her right arm immediately sent a sinking feeling into the stomachs of fans. It only took a few minutes until Mami confirmed their worst fears.

Ripley told the fans that she would be out “quite a few months” and was informed she’d have to vacate the Women’s World Championship. Not surprisingly, she was unhappy about this turn of events, but she delivered a warning that she’d be coming back “for blood” against whoever won the title in the meantime.

Rhea also said she’d need to be locked up if she found Liv Morgan, the person who attacked her backstage a week ago on Raw. Michael Cole stated on commentary that it wasn’t clear if Ripley was injured during her WrestleMania 40 match against Becky Lynch or in that attack, though the PWInsider report earlier on Monday suggested it was the latter.

Ripley didn’t have to wait long to see Morgan, who came down the ramp laughing and had to be kept away from Rhea by a host of security guards. Ripley laid out one of them with her left arm, then shared a hug backstage with her teammates in The Judgment Day.

While these are definitely unfortunate circumstances for Ripley, the silver lining is that a program with Morgan when she returns is likely to be incredibly well received and beneficial for both performers. WWE fans will undoubtedly be anxious for updates to see how far down the road that might occur, as well as who tries to fill Mami’s shoes as world champion in the meantime.

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WWE Raw results 04/15/24: Rhea vacates, Sami retains, Gable snaps

Sami Zayn won in front of his hometown fans on WWE Raw in Montreal, but Chad Gable wasn’t willing to let his defeat go.

Nothing makes an otherwise ordinary start to a week in pro wrestling turn sober faster than unexpected injury news, and that unfortunately is the case for tonight’s episode of WWE Raw in Montreal.

Earlier today, a report from PWInsider emerged that Rhea Ripley had been injured during her backstage brawl segment with Liv Morgan last week. Other outlets like Fightful have since confirmed that Ripley is indeed injured, but what isn’t clear is whether she will have to vacate her Women’s World Championship.

If she does, that heavily suggests she’ll be out of action for an extended period of time. If not, she might be back sooner than feared. But either way, since Ripley was promoted to be on tonight’s show to address Morgan’s attack, the expectation is that Liv will be blamed (or credited, if you’re on her side) with putting Ripley on the shelf for storyline purposes.

It’s an unfortunate situation, to be sure, and yet it could work out for the best in the long run. Morgan seems like more of a badass for being able to step to Mami like that — while in real life, her heart surely goes out to Ripley given her own bad luck with injuries — and Rhea will be just as over when she returns.

The other big thing to watch tonight is the Intercontinental Championship match between new champ Sami Zayn and the man who trained him to help win it, Chad Gable. The thought is that Gable will play it straight and fall short tonight, leading to him snapping and turning heel for an extended program with Zayn that probably leads to a title rematch at Backlash.

Finding out is why we watch. We’ll be doing that, so follow along with us if you will.

WWE Raw results from Montreal:

(please scroll down for more details on any match or segment in bold)

  • Various stars are shown entering the arena, including Sami Zayn, Damian Priest, Cody Rhodes and Jey Uso
  • Rhea Ripley has her arm in a sling and gives the fans the news they’ve dreaded: She’ll have to say goodbye to her Women’s World Championship as she spends months recuperating from injury
  • Ripley gets a group hug from The Judgment Day and some words of encouragement from Damian Priest, then tells them to keep the group on top and look after Dominik Mysterio
  • Sheamus def. Ivar by pinfall
  • A lengthy hype video plays up Sami Zayn’s Intercontinental Championship victory at WrestleMania and his title defense tonight
  • Triple H is in the house to present Awesome Truth with their new World Tag Team Championship belts
  • #DIY def. The Creed Brothers and The New Day to become No. 1 contenders for the World Tag Team Championship
  • Jackie Redmond is surprised that Drew McIntyre is laughing after watching what CM Punk did to him last week, but that smile goes away fast and the Scottish Warrior takes his wrath out on a TV monitor
  • Candice LeRae and Indi Hartwell def. Ivy Nile and Maxxine Dupri by pinfall, with Hartwell showing the first signs of following the rule-breaking path LeRae has been trying to get her to take
  • A lengthy hype video plays to promote Priest; afterward, he psyches up the team and trues to motivate both Dominik and Finn Balor, who is questioning his match with Jey Uso tonight but ends up smiling
  • Redmond talks to Chad Gable, who runs down his experience with hostile crowds and says he won’t be intimidated by Zayn’s hometown advantage tonight
  • Andrade def. Dominik Mysterio by pinfall; after the match. JD McDonagh helps Dom with a two-on-one beating until Ricochet comes to even the odds and chase off the heels
  • Cathy Kelley asks Jey Uso about Tama Tonga and his attack on Jimmy Uso, and he questions adding “members we don’t even know” while also saying he needs to concentrate on Balor tonight
  • Chelsea Green and Piper Niven def. Katana Chance and Kayden Carter by pinfall
  • Kelley speaks with Morgan, who says she’s confused that people are mad at her, as no one had that reaction to Ripley when she injured Liv’s shoulder: “This is karma at it’s very finest, so Rhea got exactly what she deserved”; this also isn’t the end of the Liv Morgan Revenge Tour as she still needs to become champion again
  • And now, a word from our champion, Cody Rhodes, who reflects on WrestleMania and offers to watch Jey Uso’s back, though Jey says he needs to do things himself tonight
  • Kelley talks to Nia Jax about the Rhea situation, and as you might expect, she’s not too sympathetic and says that the title is hers
  • Jey Uso def. Finn Balor by pinfall; after the bell, Uso is assaulted by The Judgment Day but manages to escape into the stands and up the stairs toward the concourse, where he high-fives a bunch of people (and shoves one aside) …
  • … then he runs into Sami Zayn on his way to the ring, encouraging him to get it tonight as he defends his title
  • While Gable is on his way out, Bronson Reed stops him and says no matter who wins, that person will have to answer to “Big” Bronson Reed
  • Sami Zayn def. Chad Gable by pinfall to retain the WWE Intercontinental Championship
  • Zayn lays his title belt down in the middle of the ring and asks Gable to meet him there, then heads to the corner instead; Zayn offers a hand to lift Gable, who initially seems to accept the show of respect, but then waits until Zayn is in front of his wife to attack the champ, battering him around ringside and the apron and wrapping an ankle lock on Sami around the top turnbuckle as Raw goes off the air

Rhea Ripley does, indeed, have to vacate her title

Though she is greeted warmly by the fans in Montreal, Ripley looks unhappy and says everyone knows what’s going on right now, yeah? She says she’s been told she’s “stuck on the bench” for months, and that she must vacate the Women’s World Championship, which gets a “bulls–t” chant going.

Rhea says the title is what means the most to her, which makes this even more painful. Ripley also delivers a warning: When she comes back, she’s coming back for blood, and when she finds Liv Morgan, they’re going to have to lock her up in a Montreal jail.

She won’t have to wait long, as a cackling Morgan comes out and a swarm of security guards emerges at the direction of Adam Pearce to keep them separated. One security guard takes some of Mami’s wrath, but that’s that.


No longer Raw champions, Awesome Truth are now World Tag Team Champions

“You guys are on fire tonight, I gotta tell you that,” the WWE CCO says to the crowd in Montreal. He says it was only a few days ago we were in the midst of the biggest WrestleMania of all time, one that gave us two sets of tag team champions.

To that end, he and Adam Pearce summon the Awesome Truth. Triple H congratulates them R-Truth and The Miz for making history, then tells Truth it was awesome to see him have his WrestleMania moment.

But to represent this brand and a new era, they need to do it in a new way. They will now be known as the World Tag Team Champions and are shown their spiffy new title belts. R-Truth thinks Triple H is a magician and suggests Little Jimmy used to be visible until a magic accident.

Much confusion on Truth’s part follows, especially about who Triple H is, but the CCO finally hits his limit and hands Awesome Truth their new title belts. Pearce then reveals there’s going to be a Triple Threat match to find them No. 1 contenders.


Cody Rhodes reflects, offers to watch Jey Uso’s back

Rhodes kicks things off by thanking Adam Pearce for letting him hang around Raw when he’s technically a SmackDown superstar. He reminds us all that at Backlash, he’ll defend his title against either LA Knight or AJ Styles, but before that, he wants to reflect a little bit.

There’s one man in particular he wants to shout out, and it’s the man who said he would be Cody’s shield, Seth “Freakin'” Rollins. Rhodes also talks about The Rock and says it was news to him that he did a 12-week training camp, stating that the Final Boss has a lot more than one more match left in him. Cody adds that The Rock is probably right about making him bleed again, but no amount of training can stop the fact that if he bleeds, The Rock will bleed with him.

One thing he’s confused about is the introduction of Tama Tonga to The Bloodline with Roman Reigns nowhere to be found. His last bit of reflection is to bring someone out to the ring, Main Event Jey Uso.

Rhodes offers to have Jey’s back for his match with Finn Balor, knowing that The Judgment Day usually rolls as a group. Jey appreciates that but says he has to do it on his own.

Cody says he totally understands and wishes Jey good luck, “until we yeet again.” Cody’s words, not mine.


Sami Zayn digs down deep to defeat Chad Gable

Sami takes some time to drink in the reaction from his hometown fans once he gets his in-ring intro from Samantha Irvin. Michael Cole says there are “many ghosts in this building” for Zayn, the biggest of which was being defeated by Roman Reigns while competing for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship.

The announcers discuss how Gable claims he knows all of Zayn’s weaknesses while he’s taking it to Sami on the outside. The champ’s rally includes a springboard moonsault to the floor, which gets the fans to reach another level as commercials arrive.

We return to see Zayn going for a ride courtesy of a Gable Olympic slam off the top rope, and Sami’s wife is shown with her hands over her mouth after that. Zayn takes two German suplexes before firing back with two of his own.

They trade one more German each before Zayn wins a battle of standing switches for one last suplex, this time with a release that sees Gable land a bit awkwardly on his neck.

Sami has just a tad of blood on his face as he hits an Exploder, but his Helluva Kick attempt is countered with an ankle lock. Gable tries to fly off the top but is caught and powerbombed by Zayn, who is thinking Sharpshooter but seeds his ankle give out.

Gable hits a release German suplex into the buckles, then wins a series of counters to drag Zayn back into the center of the ring for another ankle lock. Sami rolls through and nearly wins it.

Another Exploder sets up the Helluva Kick, and Zayn crawls over Gable to score the very popular pinfall.