RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA – SEPTEMBER 29: El Grande Americano makes his entrance with Rayo and Bravo (Los Americanos) during Monday Night RAW at Lenovo Center on September 29, 2025 in Raleigh, North Carolina. (Photo by Craig Melvin/WWE via Getty Images)

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The road to WWE Crown Jewel is in full swing as the company prepares to head to Perth for a slate of shows. The event doesn’t yet have a ton of high-stakes matches, which hurts its appeal for now, but stories are taking shape to give it more weight and that was clear on the September 29 episode of WWE Raw.

WWE’s direction for Crown Jewel seems mostly set. John Cena is getting one of his final hurrahs, and both the men’s and women’s world champions will collide. Still, if this episode of Raw was any indication, there’s more to come for the card.

So, who came out of the night looking strongest, and who left with questions?

Winner: Asuka

Asuka made her presence felt again on WWE Raw, launching an attack that escalated the tension within the Kabuki Warriors. She blindsided Iyo Sky with her mist, drove her into the mat, and left her reeling in the opening segment. Then, Asuka and Kairi Sane took down both Sky and Rhea Ripley, leaving them laid out by the end of the night.

This led to Sky getting a match for her and Ripley against Asuka and Sane at Crown Jewel in a tag team match, joining the world champion vs. world champion matches and John Cena vs. AJ Styles.

These last few months have been the best Asuka has looked in years, with her being built as a menacing, unpredictable heel with a real story behind her. It’s a welcome return to form, since WWE had been struggling with the kind of storytelling they once thrived on. Right now, not just the Empress of Tomorrow, but also Sane, Sky, and Ripley are all benefiting from this program.

Loser: Rusev

This one’s tough, and it highlights a recurring WWE problem: building up challengers, giving them a title shot, and then letting them slip after a loss.

Rusev had been built as the next Intercontinental Champion, and it made sense for him to take the belt from Dominik Mysterio, who is already running with the AAA Mega Championship on Raw. Instead, the Bulgarian Brute suffered a loss that, while strengthening Mysterio, damaged his own momentum.

Maybe Rusev will get another shot, but he was still pinned after being outsmarted. That hardly does him any favors. It all depends on how WWE follows up and whether they can restore his menace as a heel, especially after his statement win over Sheamus, which now feels less impactful.

Winner: Dominik Mysterio

Dominik Mysterio came out of Raw with one of his biggest wins to date, successfully defending the Intercontinental Championship against Rusev. The match could have easily gone the other way, as Rusev had been built up as the next champion, but Dominik found a way to survive. Beating the Bulgarian Brute not only extends his reign but also gives him added credibility while he continues to carry both the Intercontinental and AAA Mega Championships.

The finish may have been messy, yet that plays to Mysterio’s character perfectly. Outmaneuvering Rusev fits his persona and keeps heat on him as a champion who will do whatever it takes to win. This was a significant step forward that shows he can hold his own against bigger, stronger challengers.

Loser: El Grande Americano

For a while, under both Chad Gable and Ludwig Kaiser, the El Grande Americano gimmick was a wink-wink, nod-nod to someone we didn’t really know was under the mask. It was fine with Gable, and it arguably clicked even better with the former Imperium stablemate.

Clearly, WWE’s a fan of the bit, because in recent weeks they’ve rolled out even more El Grande Americanos. At first it felt like a fun, goofy sideshow highlighting random guys in masks… until it didn’t.

Now there’s a full Los Americanos stable, with what looks like Tyler Bate and Pete Dunne under the names Rayo and Bravo. That step too far, complete with a new theme song, undercuts what charm the gimmick had.

Yes, they put over AJ Styles and Dragon Lee, who appear to be a tag team now. But instead of being lighthearted comic relief, Los Americanos are starting to feel like just another group destined to get lost in the shuffle.

Winner: Roman Reigns

With Cody Rhodes and Seth Rollins preoccupied, and John Cena absent until Crown Jewel, WWE was missing some serious star power for a blood feud. Enter Roman Reigns, fresh off filming the Street Fighter movie, returning to inject some much-needed life into the show.

The Tribal Chief came back seeking revenge on Bron Breakker and Bronson Reed, who attacked him and put him out at Clash in Paris last month. He also returned to back up Jimmy and Jey Uso, though he carried a noticeable mean streak as the brothers continued to work through their own tension.

Reigns is needed right now, and his presence immediately makes Raw feel bigger. The only question is how WWE will use him at Crown Jewel. Will it be a straight tag alongside one of the Usos, a full six-man Bloodline war against Breakker and Reed with a mystery partner, or even a one-on-one clash that sets up Reigns’ next major feud? However it shakes out, the Tribal Chief’s return ensures the spotlight will be firmly back on him heading into Perth.