WWE RAW Lights Up Madison Square Garden with Major Returns and WrestleMania Build-Up
The March 30 edition of WWE RAW, broadcast live from the iconic Madison Square Garden, delivered a spectacular show that significantly advanced the narrative for the upcoming WrestleMania 42. The event was packed with high-profile returns, intense confrontations, and the announcement of several new matches for the grand spectacle.
Major Superstar Returns Ignite RAW
The night kicked off with a dramatic return as SmackDown star Cody Rhodes made a surprising appearance on RAW. His segment was immediately interrupted by the grand return of Stephanie McMahon to WWE television. A tense verbal exchange ensued, with McMahon issuing a stern warning to Rhodes about his WrestleMania 42 opponent, Randy Orton, whom she described as being particularly vicious in recent weeks.
In another shocking moment, Gunther made his return to action. The scene unfolded with Paul Heyman in the ring, where General Manager Adam Pearce informed him that charges against Seth Rollins had been dropped and that Rollins was present. The Visionary, Seth Rollins, attacked Heyman from behind with a chair. As Rollins prepared to execute his signature stomp, Gunther emerged, applying a devastating sleeper hold to halt the assault.
New Matches Added to the WrestleMania 42 Card
As a direct result of the altercation between Seth Rollins and Gunther, General Manager Adam Pearce officially announced that the two will face off at WrestleMania 42. In other championship developments, Penta successfully retained his WWE Intercontinental Championship against Kofi Kingston. Following his victory, Penta declared his intention to defend the title in a ladder match at WrestleMania. This match was later expanded into a multi-man contest, with Rusev, JD McDonagh, Je'Von Evans, and Dragon confirmed as participants.
Additionally, a singles match between Dominik Mysterio and Finn Balor was confirmed for WrestleMania 42. The WWE Women's Tag Team Championship scene also saw significant developments. The scheduled title match between champions Lash Legend & Nia Jax and challengers Bayley and Lyra Valkyria ended in a disqualification due to interference from Charlexa and The Bella Twins. This chaos led to the creation of a Fatal 4-Way match for the tag team titles at WrestleMania, involving all four teams.
Other Major Highlights from the Event
Brock Lesnar appeared in his ring gear, openly challenging Oba Femi to a fight. Despite attempts by GM Adam Pearce to prevent the confrontation, Femi arrived, leading to a scuffle that required security intervention. In the women's division, Stephanie Vaquer found herself on the receiving end of a brutal beatdown by her WrestleMania opponent, Liv Morgan.
The night also witnessed a coronation of new WWE World Tag Team Champions. Austin Theory and Logan Paul captured the titles by defeating The Usos, with notable assistance from IShowSpeed during the match.
This edition of WWE RAW successfully built immense excitement and anticipation for WrestleMania 42, setting the stage for what promises to be an unforgettable event.
