WWE RAW Live Coverage - May 4th, 2026
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Roman Reigns and Jacob Fatu to sign contract for WWE Backlash Title Match
Last week, Jacob Fatu snapped on World Heavyweight Champion Roman Reigns and left him down in the ring, prompting The OTC to accept The Samoan Werewolf's challenge for a title match at WWE Backlash. Now, Reigns and Fatu will make their showdown official in a World Heavyweight Title Contract Signing.
:raw:
— Oba Femi, OG El Grande Americano & The Creed Brothers (Brutus & Julius), Sol Ruca, Penta & Je'Von Evans and Roman Reigns with Adam Pearce all get the pre-show clips of them arriving to or hanging out at the venue.
— Michael Cole and Corey Graves greet audiences at home as we head backstage and see Adam Pearce approach Roman Reigns in an effort to calm him down. Reigns then looks to make his way to the ring, but Pearce stops him and tells him that Jacob Fatu has not arrived at the CHI Health Center Omaha just yet. Seth Rollins stares down Reigns and tells him that he's in his way, then makes his way to the ring.
As Rollins comes out to the ring he stops half way down the ramp and poses. Bron Breakker comes running out and clobbers Rollins to the ground. Breakker tosses around Rollins and then gorilla presses Rollins and slams him down onto the barricades. Officials run out to save Rollins and create separating between Breakker and Rollins. Breakker beats up some of the officials and slams Rollins into the steel steps. Breakker tosses Rollins in the ring, and Adam Pearce is telling Breakker that this is enough. Breakker is being taken to the back and he runs back into the ring and spears Rollins. Breakker leaves and leaves Rollins in the ring with officials checking on him.
The Judgement Day is backstage. Liv Morgan tells us Stephanie Vaquer is injured and they don't have to worry about her. Morgan asks why Finn Balor was talking to Roxanne Perez last week. She scolds Perez and asks why Balor went to Perez says she kicked Balor out and she is loyal to The Judgement Day. Morgan says JD McDonagh is taking care of Balor today and tells Perez that Raquel Rodriguez and Perez are the next tag champions. Morgan makes Perez promise that she won't keep any secrets from her. Perez agrees and Morgan makes her spell it out. Morgan, McDonagh and Dominik Mysterio all leave. Perez and Rodriguez stay back and Rodriguez pats Perez's head.
— Finn Balor makes his way to the ring. JD McDonagh and Dominik Mysterio follows.
Finn Balor vs. JD McDonagh (w/ Dominik Mysterio)
The bell rings and the two lock up. They take turns locking one another in submission holds, but Balor levels McDonagh with a chop in the corner and pins him. McDonagh kicks out, but Balor catches him with a shotgun dropkick and clotheslines him out of the ring.
Balor runs the ropes, but Dominik grabs his ankle while the referee has her back turned to trip Balor. This opens the door for McDonagh to slide back in the ring and send Balor crashing out of it as Roxanne Perez makes her way to the ring.
The referee begins a ten count during the commercial break as McDonagh remains in the ring, but Balor beats it and McDonagh is waiting with a double ax handle on him off the middle rope. McDonagh then wears down Balor with a submission hold while Perez watches from the side of the ring opposite Dominik.
Dominik takes a cheap shot at Balor from the outside, but Liv Morgan and Raquel Rodriguez make their way to the ring back from the break to keep their eye on Perez. Balor levels McDonagh with a Sling Blade and delivers an enzuigiri to him from the apron, then ascends to the top rope. Dominik trips Balor as Rodriguez distracts the referee, but the referee still makes the decision to eject Dominik from the ringside area.
McDonagh flies off the top rope with a moonsault, but Balor levels him with another Sling Blade. Morgan hops up on the apron and throws Perez the ring bell hammer that Dominik had taken from the timekeeper's area. Perez then hits Balor with the ring bell hammer, opening the door for McDonagh to level Balor with a headbutt for the win.
Winner: JD McDonagh
— After the match, Rodriguez, Morgan and Perez get in the ring with McDonagh and celebrate.
— We then head backstage, where Jackie Redmond catches up with Seth Rollins to ask him if he's still good to compete against Bron Breakker at Backlash. Rollins responds by telling her that he isn't dead yet.
— Bron Breakker is backstage with Austin Theory and Logan Paul. Theory and Breakker make fun of Joe Hendry's singing. Paul Heyman comes in and asks Breakker if Rollins is still breathing. Paul says he wants to make sure Hendry isn't breathing and he wants Hendry tonight. Heyman says tonight Hendry will fight Theory. Theory tells Paul to watch him beat up Hendry tonight. Breakker tells Paul to calm down and tells him they'll get these guys one by one.
— Penta and Je'Von Evans make their way to the ring. Rusev and Ethan Page follow.
Ethan Page and Rusev vs. Je'Von Evans and Penta
Evans and Rusev begin the action. The bell rings and Rusev fires off shoulders on Evans in the corner. He whips Evans in the corner, but Evans catches Rusev with a kick. Rusev responds by levelling Evans and tags in Page.
Page delivers a right hand to Evans as Rusev holds him in place, but Evans fires off chops on Page. Evans takes out Rusev and does Penta's signature walk, but Penta tags himself in and Evans dropkicks Page into the corner. Penta follows up with a modified Bronco Buster on Page and a double superkick to Rusev with Evans. Evans then levels Rusev with a hurricanrana and takes him out on the outside with a crossbody over the top rope as Penta delivers the Penta Driver to Evans.
Rusev tags back in during the commercial break. Page holds Penta in place for Rusev to land a boot on him, and Rusev then fires off stomps on Penta in the corner. Page tags back in and lands a right hand on Penta, then fires off a few more on him and tags out to Rusev.
Evans looks to tag back in, but Rusev pulls him off the ring apron. Penta levels Page with a forearm on the apron and looks to tag out to Evans, but Evans is still down on the floor. Page tags in and rains down right hands on Penta, but Penta manages to tag out to Evans. Evans catches Page with a kick and follows it up with a Stunner to him, then delivers a suplex to Page and flies over the top rope to level Rusev on the outside.
Evans ascends to the top rope, but Page pushes him off. Penta sends Page crashing out of the ring with a thrust kick, but Page trips Penta using the ring skirt and distracts the referee for Rusev to deliver a chokeslam to Penta. Page then catches Penta in the ring with a vertical suplex for the win.
Winners: Ethan Page and Rusev
— Sol Ruca walks backstage and we see Austin Theory and Maxxine Dupri deep in a conversation several feet behind her.
— We come back from a commercial break and Adam Pearce is in the ring. Pearce says when he was a coach in NXT his favorite moments were when an NXT talent gets called up to the main roster. He says today is one of those days and a promo video for Sol Ruca is played. After the video, Pearce welcomes the newest member of Monday Night RAW and Ruca makes her way out to the ring. Pearce congratulates Ruca and hands her her WWE main roster to sign. Ruca says it'll feel so damn good when she signs this contract and is officially part of Monday Night RAW.
Becky Lynch comes out interrupting Ruca's contract signing. Lynch says this was her allotted time for a celebration and Lynch is also pissed that Pearce meddled in her title reign and made her fight Iyo Sky. Ruca asks Lynch is done and tells Lynch that not everything is about Lynch. Lynch says everything is about her and Ruca says this moment is hers and everyone knows what Lynch has accomplished but she's what everyone says she is: a rude, big-headed, bitch... and it's not just her saying it and Lynch asks Pearce why he's allowing her to talk to Lynch this way. Ruca signs the contract and Lynch asks Ruca who she is. Ruca says she's Sol Ruca and if she interrupts Ruca again, not only will she kick Lynch's ass, she'll snatch her soul. Lynch goes to punch Ruca but punches Pearce instead. Pearce and Lynch argue and Pearce leaves. Ruca goes for a Sol Snatcher and botches it but lays out Lynch.
— Jimmy and Jey Uso walk backstage. Jackie Redmond catches up to them and gets their thoughts. Jimmy says they love Jacob Fatu but things are handled a certain way - the way the OTC wants it handled. Jey says they're on Roman Reigns' side and Fatu has bitten off more than he can handle.
— Before our next match, Joe Hendry comes out and does a little apology concert for Logan Paul. Paul comes out with Austin Theory. Paul yells at Hendry and says he's the heart and soul of the WWE. Hendry sings the rest of the song and Theory attacks Hendry.
Joe Hendry vs. Austin Theory (w/ Logan Paul)
Theory runs in the ring and Hendry clotheslines him out of the ring. Paul distracts Hendry and Theory takes advantage and punches and kicks Hendry. Theory connects with a backbreaker. Hendry is swung into the turnbuckles and Theory mounts Hendry and punches him. Theory suplexes Hendry and taunts the crowd with Paul. Hendry suplexes Theory and punches him several times. Theory is clotheslined to the mat and then he's slammed into - in the corner. Hendry hits a Fallaway Slam and Paul runs in and attacks Hendry calling for the bell.
Winner by Disqualification: Joe Hendry
— After the match, Paul beats on Hendry but he starts fighting back. Theory gets in and Hendry is double teamed and beaten up. Angelo Dawkins and Montez Ford run out to help Hendry. The Street Profits go to double team Theory and Bron Breakker runs down and tosses Ford out of the ring and hits a running clotheslines on Dawkins. Seth Rollins comes out of nowhere and attacks Breakker. Rollins clotheslines Breakker to the mat and knocks Paul off the apron. Ford runs in the ring to hit a Moonsault to the outside distracting Rollins. Breakker spears Rollins and leaves him laid out in the middle of the ring.
— Jackie Redmond asks The Judgement Day and what's next for them. Liv Morgan says they've taken out Finn Balor and they're focused on getting all the gold and gives it away to Raquel Rodriguez. Rodriguez says that she and Roxanne Perez will be the next tag team champions and calls out Paige and Brie Bella. Bayley and Lyra Valkyria come by and they have an issue with how they were attacked last week. Morgan dismisses them, and she, Dominik Mysterio, JD McDonagh, Perez and Rodriguez leave.
— Oba Femi comes out and announces the start to his Open Challenge and it is answered by Akira Tozawa.
Oba Femi vs. Otis (w/ Akira Tozawa and Maxxine Dupri)
Tozawa walks up to Femi and then cowers away. Otis takes his place and we get the bell. Otis and Femi lock up and Femi sends Otis into the corner. Otis comes at Femi off the ropes and Femi doesn't budge. Femi does the same and Otis doesn't budge. The two start to push each other and Femi takes out Otis with a running uppercut. Femi tosses Otis across the ring and motions for The Fall from Grace and asks the crowd if he should. Femi clobbers Otis and lifts Otis to the middle rope and gets Otis on his shoulders and hits The Fall from Grace on Otis and gets the win.
Winner: Oba Femi
— Seth Rollins is backstage and tells the ref that's following him that he's ok. Rollins approaches The Street Profits (Angelo Dawkins & Montez Ford) and Joe Hendry. They all argue about what happened out earlier and they got beaten up. Rollins tells them to stay out of his way and he'll stay out of theirs.
— We see Roman Reigns talking to Adam Pearce backstage and then we cut to Jacob Fatu walking backstage and go to a commercial.
— We come back from a commercial to a pre-recorded face to face conversation between Iyo Sky and Asuka. Sky says Asuka is her mentor and didn't ever want it to come to this. She says she loves Asuka and has respect for her and doesn't want to fight her. Sky says Asuka has changed and the Asuka she loves isn't here anymore and now she has to fight her. Asuka accuses Sky of disrespect and says the Sky in front of her isn't the same Sky she mentored and says this version of Sky is Asuka's biggest disappointment and promises to cut Sky out of her life for good. Sky says she's ready for Asuka. Asuka then mists Sky and Adam Pearce screams for a doctor.
— Jackie Redmond talks to the OG Americanos with Los Americanos Hermanos (Bruto & Julio). OG talks about his mask -vs- mask match at the end of the month and why he asked for the assistance of Los Americanos Hermanos.
OG El Grande Americano, Julio, and Bruno vs. Los Americanos
The bell rings and Bruno, Julio, and OG Grande send Rayo Americano, Bravo Americano, and El Grande Americano out of the ring. Julio and Ray tag in, and Rayo catches Julio with a boot to his midsection. Julio responds with a suplex to Rayo, but Grande and OG Grande tag in.
Back from the break, OG Grande fires off right hands on Grande and delivers a Russian Leg Sweep to him. He levels Rayo with a clothesline on the outside and ascends to the top rope, but Rayo pushes off OG Grande while the referee is distracted. Julio lands a superplex on Rayo, and Bruno follows it up with a moonsault. Grande levels Bruno with a shoulder pounce, but Bravo delivers a Frog Splash to Grande and pins him. Grande kicks out and lands a diving headbutt on Bravo for the win.
Winners: OG El Grande Americano, Julio, and Bruno
— Roman Reigns makes his way out to the ring for the contract signing with Jacob Fatu. Reigns takes a seat at the table in the ring and Fatu is introduced next. Fatu sits down and Pearce tells them he just needs to signatures. Reigns firsts asks Omaha to acknowledge him and tells Fatu that's the sound of respect. Reigns tells Fatu that while Solo Sikoa brought Fatu into the WWE, he brought Sikoa into the WWE. Reigns tells Fatu that Reigns was disrespected by him when he used the Tongan Death Grip and tells Fatu that you don't do that to your family or your Tribal Chief.
Fatu says his back is against the wall so he had no other choice but to take Reigns out and take the title and everything that comes with the title. Fatu says once he wins he will milk the WWE for all their money like the WWE has done to their family. Fatu says he's desperate enough to do whatever he can for his household. Reigns signs the contract and tells Fatu that Fatu is talking about his household where Reigns has been grinding to open the doors for all the households in their family. Reigns tells Fatu that in the WWE ring, Fatu is beneath Reigns. Fatu attacks Reigns and goes for the Tongan Death Grip and Reigns fights back and throws a chair at Fatu. Fatu goes for the Tongan Death Grip and Reigns fights back again. Reigns goes for a Superman Punch but Fatu catches him and puts him in the Tongan Death Grip and then slams Reigns through the table. Fatu signs the contract and stands tall as officials come in toe check on Reigns. Fatu leaves the ring and the end credits roll.
