WWE RAW before WrestleMania 41 - Best and Worst - Repeat of The Shield; major mistake with 3 top stars

The go-home episode of WWE RAW before WrestleMania 41 was a mixed bag. While it served as the perfect final build to The Show of Shows in places, this episode also dragged at times.

Some matches scheduled for this weekend have become more exciting following the show, while others could have done with better booking. There were both positives and negatives, so let's get right into it. Here is the best and worst of the WWE RAW before WrestleMania 41.

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#3. Best: Liv Morgan's resurgence continues

There was some fine in-ring action on WWE RAW. While Rey Mysterio and Julius Creed put on a fun bout, the best match of the night saw Liv Morgan take on Bayley. The Judgment Day member has subtly become the most consistent television wrestler of 2025, with several great matches to her name on Monday nights.

Liv Morgan battled Bayley last night. [Image via WWE.com]

Last night was no exception, as Morgan showed how good she had become in the ring. Bayley may have won the match, but the former Women's World Champion can be proud of her effort. If they are afforded enough time at WrestleMania 41, the Women's Tag Team Title match could be one of the sleeper hits of the entire weekend.

Liv Morgan and Raquel Rodriguez work well as a unit, while Bayley and Lyra Valkyria have shown impressive chemistry in their short run as a tag team so far.

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#2. Best/Worst: The tension is visible, but what are the stakes?

Roman Reigns vs. Seth Rollins vs. CM Punk should be a lot richer in storytelling than it currently is. For all the lore between the three men, two tropes are being overused. The Paul Heyman connection and the "Shield chair," as Michael Cole called it on WWE RAW.

The Wiseman is a big part of the story and the careers of Reigns and Punk. He could end up deciding the fate of the WrestleMania 41 Night One main event, potentially even turning heel. The only issue is how the match will affect every participant. Rollins claimed the winner would "shape the future of the business."

It makes sense in theory, but nothing else on WWE RAW and SmackDown has suggested how the industry will change. It still feels like they're fighting over bragging rights, and the only way this Triple Threat Match can be saved is for there to be visible consequences for the losers.

This week on WWE RAW, Roman Reigns put his hands on Paul Heyman and Speared CM Punk before Seth Rollins hit him with a chair. While it was perfectly fine, everyone involved is capable of so much better. Hopefully, the match on Saturday will deliver.

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#1. Worst: Where were the women?

The Women's World Championship match at WrestleMania 41 hasn't been built very well. IYO SKY felt like the third wheel for most of the build, even if she did get her shots in on Rhea Ripley and Bianca Belair. However, once the Triple Threat Match became official last week, WWE RAW's writers may have felt their work was done.

However, for a world title match at 'Mania, we need more. All three women are linked to each other, from their time in NXT to various matches on the main roster. They should have appeared on WWE RAW and built on that history. Instead, we got pre-taped promos from SKY, Ripley, and Belair.

That is disappointing since their storyline had more potential. Well, at least the match will likely be excellent.

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#1. Best: Final words on WWE RAW

WWE RAW opened with a defiant Gunther cutting one of his best promos in the company. The World Heavyweight Champion seemed rattled by Jey Uso's resurgence, especially after his reaction to Jimmy Uso getting bloodied.

However, The Ring General reiterated that he is in complete control of the situation. He promised to crush Uso's dreams at WrestleMania 41, as he has done multiple times before. This was a strong push for their match on Saturday, with The YEET Master cutting a serious promo himself.

Jey Uso said he was finally ready to step up and take on Gunther, with his family and fans behind him. This may have been the best part of WWE RAW ahead of The Show of Shows. Main Event Jey has shown enough fire in recent weeks to make his World Heavyweight Championship shot at WrestleMania 41 a big deal. It feels like a now-or-never type of situation.