The April 21, 2025, episode of Monday Night Raw marks a full 24-hours removed from WWE's most controversial WrestleMania to date. WrestleMania 41 ended with John Cena doing what he promised to do when he vowed to ruin professional wrestling. He defeated Cody Rhodes to win his 17th World Title, albeit with Travis Scott's help.

John Cena returns to Raw to address the WWE Universe about the future of his retirement tour as "the last real champion." Speaking of championships, audiences can expect fallout from Dominik Mysterio's shocking Intercontinental Championship win at Finn Balor's expense, putting the future of one of WWE's greatest factions, the Judgment Day, into question. Speaking of questions, as much as audiences are questioning Karrion Kross' post-show shoot promo, fans also anticipate his future business for AJ Styles after costing him his match with Logan Paul.

The Raw after WrestleMania is often the most exciting time of the year, setting the stage for WWE's next calendar year. Tonight is no different. Here's everything that happened the night after WrestleMania 41!

Here are your key moments from tonight's Monday Night Raw for April 21, 2025:

• WWE Raw is LIVE from Netflix, hailing from Las Vegas, Nevada! We start things up with a recap package of the wrestling weekend, featuring clips from the news media, NXT: Stand and Deliver, and of course, both nights of WrestleMania 41.
• After, we get footage backstage of in a WrestleMania rematch with former champs, Liv Morgan and Raquel Rodriguez. Speaking of, the duo and Carlito arrive at the arena with new IC Champ Dominik Mysterio, who is announced to defend tonight against Penta. Conspicuous by his absence is fellow Judgment Day member, Finn Balor. WWE World Heavyweight Champion Jey Uso also arrives to the arena.
• New WWE Undisputed Champion John Cena enters the ring. He forces the announcer to re-announce him as "The Greatest of All Time ... gracing Las Vegas with his presence for the last time. The Last Real Champion, John Cena!" Taking the mic, Cena cuts a promo telling the crowd they're not worthy of his presence, even after cheering him at Mania. He reminds fans that he has 36 dates left on his schedule. Even if he can't wrestle, he doesn't have to. He just has to show up, and when his dates are up, the real title held by Bruno Sammartino for years and Roman Reigns for 1,000 plus days is going home with him. He says Cody Rhodes was their best shot at saving wrestling, and booing him is what's wrong with this business. He says no one can match his speed, wisdom, or ruthless aggression. He does, though, promise to do something nice for the people. He tells everyone to get out their cameras and take a great picture because "the last real champ is here." He then turns around into an RKO outta nowhere from Randy Orton! Orton picks up Cena's title and raises it, making it clear what he wants.
• Becky Lynch and Women's Intercontinental Champion Lyra Valkyria (c) vs. Raquel Rodriquez and Liv Morgan for the WWE Women's Tag Team Championship. After Lyra shoves Raquel off the apron and onto The Man outside, she turns around into an ObLIVion, allowing Rodriguez and Morgan to win their fourth WWE Women's Tag Team Championship. Post-match, Lynch turns heel and attacks Lyra.
• Video package of CM Punk vs. Roman Reigns vs. Seth Rollins from WrestleMania Saturday.
• The New Day are seen walking backstage as the new World Tag Team Champions. They walk past Karrion Kross, giving a sly grin.
• Xavier Woods and Kofi Kingston then make their way to the ring for a promo to gloat, claiming no tag team alive or dead is better than them. Almost immediately, they are interrupted by Alpha Academy, with Maxxine Dupri reminding them that Otis and Akira Tozawa last beat them in 60 seconds. They challenge for a match tonight, only to be refused until Maxxine accuses the "Minute-Men" of being scared. The match is on as a referee rushes to the ring. Before the bell rings, though, ominous music plays and it belongs to a returning Rusev. The Bulgarian Brute marches to a WWE ring for the first time in five years, attacking Alpha Academy as New Day flee.
• Backstage, Judgment Day celebrate their respective title wins before Finn Balor interrupts, eye-to-eye with Dirty Dom. Balor congratulates Dom with a friendly smile, but his eyes linger on Dom's title he pinned him for on WrestleMania Sunday.
• Out comes Women's World Champion IYO Sky for a promo, proclaiming to be the best after beating the best last night. She is then interrupted by NXT Women's Champion Stephanie Vaquer. She pays her respects, but also says she wants to fight the best of the best. Sky accepts the challenge for right now. Raw General Manager Adam Pearce interrupts to make sure Las Vegas wants the match, and with the confirmation, Stephanie Vaquer vs. IYO Sky is official!
• After 14 minutes of back-and-forth action, Roxanne Perez and Giula run-in to attack both women. The betdown ensues until Rhea Ripley hits the ring. Perez gets taken out before Giulia and Ripley have a staredown. The self-proclaimed Beautiful Madness leaves on her own accord. Ripley then picks up Sky's championship, handing it to Sky as a show of respect.
• Cut to CM Punk backstage arriving to the venue.
• A highlight reel video package of Jey Uso's life and career, set to "CHANT" by Macklemore and Tones And I, leadingto showcasing his WrestleMania 41 win over Gunther.
• New World Heavyweight Champion Jey Uso comes to the ring through the crowd. His promo is interrupted by Sami Zayn, back in WWE for the first time since his Unsanctioned Street Fight with Kevin Owens at Elimination Chamber. The Honorary Uce gives Uso a congratulatory hug. Zayn tells Uso he deserves it, and that it's time to celebrate with a collective YEET. They are soon ed by Jimmy Uso, and the party continues.
• We get a clip from WrestleMania Sunday backstage where Cathy Kelley interviews Logan Paul about Karrion Kross' involvement in his match, something Paul knew nothing about. He said all that matters is he won.
• Backstage at Raw, AJ Styles is interviewed about last night, calling it "a hard pill to swallow." He's confronted by Karrion Kross and Scarlett Bordeaux. Kross calls Styles "the best of us," and that he legitimized Paul by losing. Styles refuses to be the more malicious man he used to be a year ago, so he should solve the Logan Paul Problem himself. "Maybe I will," Kross laughs to himself.
• Netflix previews their next docies, WWE: Unreal, taking place in the WWE's writer's room and gorilla position. Tentatively scheduled for the summer.
• Dominik Mysterio is seen backstage preparing for his first title defense against Penta.
• Returning from a commercial break, Gunther argues with Michael Cole at ringside, telling him to shut up for his comments about tapping out last night. Pat McAfee tries to intervene, only to be shoved off as Gunther puts a Sleeper Hold on Cole. McAfee and Gunther brawl until the latter es out the former with a Sleeper Hold.
• Back from another commercial break, Joe Tessitore replaces Pat McAfee, still struggling to catch his break backstage. Cole questions how commentators can do their jobs when they’re put under scrutiny by wrestlers like Gunther. Adam Pearce urges Cole to take the night off, but Cole refuses to let a “bully” stop him from doing his job. He marches back to his commentary desk to a thunderous round of applause.
• IC Champ Dom Mysterio vs. Penta begins. In the final moments, J.D. McDonagh returns from injury to cost Penta the match behind the referee's back, allowing Dom the chance to retain after a 619 in about eight minutes.
• Seth "Freakin" Rollins and Paul Heyman make their first entrance together to the ring. Rollins' words are interrupted by CM Punk, immediately descending into a brawl. A distraction from Heyman leads to Seth finishing Punk with a Stomp. Heyman grabs the microphone back to drop a "spoiler" for WrestleMania 42: the undisputed star of this industry is Seth "Freakin" Rollins. That's when Roman Reigns' music hits, prompting the OTC to charge down the ring for a Spear on Rollins. Left alone, Heyman gets hit with a Superman Punch. He teases a Spear on his former Wiseman, only to receive a Spear from Bron Breakker. Breakker stares down Rollins before Breakker hits Punk with a Spear, followed momentarily by a Spear on Roman through the barricade. Rollins hits a Stomp on Punk and Reigns once more as Breakker holds the OTC down. The alliance between Seth Rollins, Paul Heyman, and Bron Breakker is official as Raw goes off the air.

Here are your results from tonight's matches on WWE Raw for April 21, 2025:

• Liv Morgan and Raquel Rodriguez def. Becky Lynch and Lyra Valkyria (c) for the WWE Women's Tag Team Championship
• Stephanie Vaquer vs. IYO Sky [No Contest]
• Dominik Mysterio (c) def. Penta for the WWE Intercontinental Championship

Bron Breakker Skyrockets to WWE's Main Event Picture

WWE Has a New Paul Heyman Guy

Bron Breakker, even during his time in NXT, was primed to be WWE's Next Big Thing. His two runs as WWE Intercontinental Champion only solidified that as his popularity and positive crowd perception grew immensely during both reigns. When he was eliminated by Roman Reigns at this year's Royal Rumble match, many predicted it to be shades of foreshadowing for the future, but nobody expected that future to come so soon. Many have fantasy booked Bron's ascent to the top, even hypothesizing a Goldberg match in his future.

However, Bron is in the best possible position today as a Paul Heyman Guy. Traditionally, Paul Heyman Guys always go on to be future WWE Champions and WrestleMania headliners. Notable names like Brock Lesnar, CM Punk, Roman Reigns, and even Stone Cold Steve Austin have all been Paul Heyman Guys at one point in their careers, and unsurprisingly, they all main evented WrestleMania. Positioning himself next to Heyman immediately bounces him back up to relevance after losing the IC Title, and it marks the beginning of what could be a promising career for Bron Breakker.

WWE's Women's Division Looks to Have a Bright Future

Storylines for All Three WWE Brands are Exciting

Going into WrestleMania 41, there was some concern from fans and critics alike that WWE was Rhea Ripley's booking (or, as some would say, shoe-horning) into Bianca Belair vs. IYO Sky. WrestleMania Sunday - specifically, Bayley being written out of the Women's Tag Title match for Becky Lynch - didn't reassure fans for the most part, but WWE bounces back with some promising storylines heading into Raw, SmackDown, and NXT. Lynch's heel turn is expected to propel the rookie Valkyria much like a heel Lynch did for a rookie Belair years ago.

Whatever booking woes WWE's women's division suffered on the road to WrestleMania seems to be a thing of the past heading into this new calendar year.

Meanwhile, NXT had its presence known in full-force tonight, showcasing Stephanie Vaquer in a dream match whilst promoting her title defense against Roxanne Perez tomorrow night on the CW. In the same breath, Raw audiences got their first sight of international sensation Giulia, having a staredown with Rhea Ripley. Whatever booking woes WWE's women's division suffered on the road to WrestleMania seems to be a thing of the past heading into this new calendar year. WWE wipes the slate clean, and fans have reason to be excited.

WWE Champion John Cena Rekindles His Rivalry with Randy Orton One Last Time

One of WWE's Most Famous Feuds Gets One Last Hurrah

There was a time some decades ago when WWE's leading faces of the brand were Randy Orton and John Cena, in the same regard that The Rock and Stone Cold Steve Austin were the leading faces of WWE's Attitude Era. As such, the two had countless matches against each other, to the point that some fans of yesteryear were sick of seeing them wrestle each other. However, today is a new day. Orton and Cena are heavily respected among fans and critics as veterans with unprecedented enduring legacies in WWE. It's hard to mention one Superstar without mentioning the other.

Both men have often been and always will be tied to each other's career, so it only makes sense for John Cena to wrestle Orton one last time before exiting WWE. For all of the times these two have been entangled with each other, this would have to be their most unique encounter. Orton isn't the same cocky Viper he once was, while Cena is suddenly every bit as cocky as Orton used to be. Orton's never faced a heel John Cena before in WWE, so it should be interesting to see how the familiar foes change their dynamic to accommodate John Cena's new attitude change.