WWE Raw Results & Winners (February 23, 2026): Undertaker announces AJ Styles as Hall of Fame Class of 2026 inductee; Brock Lesnar issues WrestleMania open challenge & more
(Courtesy : WWE.com)
Bronson Reed suffers an injury, Liv Morgan picks Stephanie Vaquer for WrestleMania & more!
Before the second PLE of the year, WWE arrived in Atlanta to deliver the Elimination Chamber go-home show of Monday Night Raw. The go-home show emanated live from the State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia, and featured the final face-off ahead of the Chamber PLE.
The episode featured the final Qualifying matches for the men’s and women’s Elimination Chamber matches, along with the return of Brock Lesnar and a tribute to AJ Styles, along with a singles match. Liv Morgan also made her WrestleMania pick on the show.
Get to know what happened this Monday, as we have the complete summary, highlights, results, and winners’ list for the 2/23 episode of WWE Raw.
WWE Raw Summary and Highlights
The Ring General demands respect
Michael Cole and Corey Graves recapped the show before Gunther cut them off, emerging from the crowd. The Ring General told them to get out of his ring, sit behind the desk, and inform the audience how great he was.
Gunther stepped into the ring as Cole and Graves exited, and boos rained down from the crowd. He mocked the fans and referenced AJ Styles’ tribute, calling it a disgrace that there was a celebration for a “loser.” Gunther said he understood that fans liked losers such as Goldberg, John Cena, and AJ Styles, claiming the common thread among them was that he had ended their careers.
He then hinted that there should instead be a celebration in his honor. General Manager Adam Pearce appeared, furious at the Ring General. Pearce stated that they were going to celebrate AJ Styles’ career and ordered Gunther to leave the ring or be escorted out.
Gunther responded that he would leave, not because Pearce told him to, but of his own free will, and added that he felt disgraced because of what was going to happen later that night. As Gunther was being escorted backstage, Dragon Lee jumped him, prompting security to scramble in an attempt to separate the two. Gunther was taken toward the back, but Lee attacked him again.
The brawl continued until security finally managed to separate them. Pearce yelled at Gunther as Cody Rhodes appeared. The two briefly faced off before Cody walked off to make his entrance.
Grade: C+
Indights & Backstage Moments:
- The Ring General basked in the hostility from the crowd in Atlanta and appeared to relish it, another hallmark of his old-school persona.
Bronson Reed vs Jey Uso vs “Original” El Grande Americano – Men’s Elimination Chamber Qualifying match
Cody Rhodes hyped up the crowd ahead of the upcoming tribute to AJ Styles. However, before he could say anything significant, Bronson Reed appeared alongside The Vision (Logan Paul, Paul Heyman, and Austin Theory). Theory said he could not stand being in the arena, claiming the crowd had disrespected his Wiseman and The Vision.
He added that he was ashamed to be from Atlanta. Logan then took the microphone and said that, like everyone else from Atlanta, Cody had zero common sense. Logan criticized Cody for showing up on Raw, warning that when Reed won tonight, then at Elimination Chamber, and eventually at WrestleMania to take over WWE, Cody would be the first one out the door.
Logan continued to hype up Reed and announced that the qualifying match would begin immediately. Rhodes responded by saying there was someone in the back who would disagree. That brought out Jey Uso, who made his entrance accompanied by Jimmy Uso. “Original” El Grande Americano made the walk last to start the match.
Jey Uso bagged the win in the final Qualifiers, after some potential changes as Reed suffered an injury during the match while jumping to break a pin attempt. The injury forced Reed out of the match as Jey and Americano continued, effectively making it a one-on-one affair with Jey securing the win.
Winner: Jey Uso
Grade: C+
Match Insights & Backstage Moments:
- CM Punk arrived in the arena in style with the winner of the Daytona 500, Tyler Reddick.
- Later in the show, Michael Cole revealed that Reed has suffered a torn bicep and will be out of action indefinitely.
Liv Morgan’s WrestleMania pick
WWE recapped last week’s segment that left Liv Morgan in tears before the show returned to the arena, where Liv still looked shaken while Dominik Mysterio stood beside her with a microphone in hand. Dirty Dom first hyped himself up before asking the champions to come out so his abuelita could make her decision face-to-face.
He called out Stephanie Vaquer, who made her entrance and stepped into the ring. Dom then invited WWE Women’s Champion Jade Cargill to join them, and she also made her way to the ring. Liv said that both champions had been patiently waiting for her decision and that she had finally made it, but first, she had something to get off her chest.
Morgan admitted that Vaquer’s words the previous week had made her reflect, conceding that Vaquer was right and that she had not realized how privileged she truly was. Liv apologized to Vaquer, saying she was champion because of everything she had endured.
However, after briefly facing off with Jade, Liv suddenly turned around and struck Vaquer with the microphone, dropping her to the mat. Morgan then unleashed a barrage of strikes on Vaquer, making her decision clear. She followed up with Oblivion to seal the moment. Dom handed Liv the World Title, and she posed with it as the segment came to a close.
Grade: B
Insights & Backstage Moments:
- Jade Cargill added nothing to this segment, and WWE made it very predictable for fans who Liv is going to pick for Mania.
- Backstage, Je’Von Evans linked up with rapper Offset and was interrupted by the New Day, leading to a match booking between Evans and Kingston.
Nattie vs Maxxine Dupri
The action spilled to the ringside immediately, as Maxxine began beating down on Nattie, who responded by sending her into the barricade. Dupri jumped over the barricade and fired back with a kick. The brawl continued as Nattie shoved Maxxine away, causing Dupri to crash into the ring post before collapsing to the floor.
Durpi was knocked out cold after hitting the ring post. Nattie resumed the assault on Maxxine as the referee rushed in and called off the match. Additional officials quickly made their way to the ringside to check on Dupri.
Winner: Nattie via referee stoppage
Grade: D
Match Insights & Backstage Moments:
- The finish, which was likely done to save both from a clean finish, will only end up damaging the feud.
- It remains to see how Nattie’s fresh presentation works for her in the long run.
- Backstage in the Judgment Day clubhouse, JD McDonagh apologized to Finn Bálor, expressing that he respected him like a brother and only wanted what was best for him. Bálor brushed it off, but stressed that he would have to handle things on his own at Elimination Chamber. Dominik Mysterio then got up to speak with them, voicing frustration that they hadn’t supported him during his qualifying match. He acknowledged Bálor’s desire to go solo but pointed out that he didn’t have the same luxury, with an Intercontinental Championship defense coming up next week. He asked if he could count on their support. McDonagh promised he would be there, but Bálor urged Dom to take responsibility, toughen up, and handle it on his own. After Bálor left, McDonagh reassured Dom that they would indeed have his back.
Brock Lesnar returns
Paul Heyman introduced Brock Lesnar and recounted a bit of history, noting that WrestleMania traditionally featured two main events: the World Championship match and The Undertaker’s undefeated streak, which had been broken by Brock, effectively making him the second main event.
Heyman emphasized that the only “Deadman walking” in WWE would be the one coming down the entrance ramp and asked the audience who would step up to face Brock at WrestleMania. He continued to hype the upcoming WrestleMania showdown and teased the appearance Brock would make on the Road to WrestleMania.
Heyman then issued an open challenge, calling out anyone willing to face Brock at WrestleMania, and concluded by asserting that there was no one brave enough to accept it, so he had no spoiler or prediction to give.
Grade: B
Insights & Backstage Moments:
- Backstage before the segment, GM Adam Pearce was once again dealing with the infamous Mystery Crate. He instructed the crew member to load it back onto the truck and take it to Elimination Chamber so he and SmackDown GM Nick Aldis could handle it together. Rusev approached, insisting he needed to speak with Pearce. Pearce told him he was busy, prompting Rusev to ask what could possibly be more important than him. Oba Femi then appeared, claiming it was actually him and suggesting that if Rusev wanted to act like a big veteran, he should use the moment to teach him a lesson. The two exchanged heated glances, but Pearce reminded them that it was AJ Styles’ night and told them to back off.
Je’Von Evans vs Kofi Kingston
After their backstage interaction, Je’Von Evans and Kofi Kingston locked horns in a singles match. Xavier Woods and Grayson Waller continued to interfere in the match, aiding Kingston, until Offset, who was in Evans’ corner, decided to retaliate, sending Waller crashing over the announce desk. Evans hit the OG Cutter to pin Kingston and secure another big win.
Winner: Je’Von Evans
Grade: B
Match Insights & Backstage Moments:
- In a video promo before the match, Becky Lynch talked about AJ Lee’s accomplishments, noting that Lee had only captured the butterfly title (Divas Championship), whereas Lynch herself had walked away with two WrestleMania titles and became the first woman to appear on the cover of a WWE video game. She argued that this history made AJ undeserving of the Intercontinental title and insisted that she was the one who should put AJ’s career to rest in Chicago.
CM Punk previews Elimination Chamber
CM Punk stated that the night wasn’t about him and that he was there to celebrate AJ Styles, prompting the crowd to erupt in a chorus of “AJ STYLES” chants. Punk said he would keep his segment brief so AJ could properly celebrate his career and then previewed his upcoming Elimination Chamber title defense.
He acknowledged that being a fighting champion carried risks, but insisted he was doing his best and giving the fans what they deserved, following in the footsteps of legends like Bret Hart, Shawn Michaels, Triple H, and many others.
Punk then posed a hypothetical about Roman Reigns being present, but clarified that he didn’t deal in “what ifs” since Reigns wasn’t there, he was. He questioned what would happen if Finn Bálor defeated him and he lost.
He revealed that Reigns would appear next week in Indianapolis and speculated on the possibility of confronting him before WrestleMania, but again emphasized that he dealt in facts, leaving the hypotheticals to Finn Bálor and Roman Reigns. Punk closed by reaffirming that he is the Best in the World, the Champion, the main event of WrestleMAnia and his name is “CM PUNK.”
Grade: B
Insights & Backstage Moments:
- Punk’s incredible promo skills were on display, but not having Balor interrupt it and have a face-off seems a questionable decision. Rather, Finn got a video promo before the segment.
- Before the segment, Finn Bálor appeared in a promo video package in which he spoke about his determination to show doubters, critics, and even his faction, Judgment Day, that he still had what it takes to be a champion after a decade in WWE.
Raquel Rodriguez vs Iyo Sky vs Kairi Sane – Women’s Elimination Chamber Qualifying match
In the final match of the show, Raquel Rodriguez, Iyo Sky, and Kairi Sane battled in the final Women’s Elimination Chamber Qualifying match to secure the final spot. Rodriguez came out on top, securing the win after taking down Sane with the Tahana Bomb and moving an inch closer once again in her attempt to capture the World title.
Winner: Raquel Rodriguez
Grade: B
Match Insights & Backstage Moments:
- While choosing Iyo to win the match made sense from a business perspective, WWE Creative ultimately decided against it, which worked in the match’s favor, as it made the contest far more compelling with a different outcome.
- The outcome also prevents WWE from having to pit Iyo against Rhea in the Chamber match, assuming there are no plans to have them split.
Thankyou AJ!
AJ Styles grabbed the microphone as chants of “THANK YOU AJ!” erupted from the crowd. The Phenomenal One explained that he had decided against wearing a suit that night and expressed his gratitude for being in Atlanta, Georgia, noting that he had grown up just 45 minutes away in Gainesville.
Styles thanked the audience and recapped his career, highlighting his time wrestling in TNA, competing at the Tokyo Dome, and performing under the bright lights at WrestleMania. He also acknowledged some of the legends who had been part of his journey, including Frankie Kazarian and the Good Brothers (Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson).
He reflected on his accomplishments, stating that while he had done almost everything in wrestling, he had missed out on being a full-time father. He admitted that although many viewed his titles and accolades as his biggest achievements, his true pride came from having the best wife in the world, who had held the family together while he pursued his career, and from watching his children grow.
Styles thanked his kids for being present and addressed his final match against Gunther at the Royal Rumble, admitting it hadn’t ended as he imagined but noting its poetic nature, as few go out where they started. AJ recalled that his debut had been at the 2016 Royal Rumble, and his final match had also been at the 2026 Royal Rumble.
He then addressed not leaving his gloves in the ring initially, explaining that he was a man of his word, and that at the end of the day, all a person truly has is their word. He left his jacket on the mat, explaining that he hadn’t removed his gloves at the Rumble because he wanted to return to Atlanta and leave them at home.
Styles finally removed his gloves and dropped them on the mat, thanking the fans and acknowledging that he would have been nothing without them. The entire locker room came out to the entrance ramp to honor Styles and his career. The lights in the ring went out as The Undertaker’s iconic bell rang. When the lights returned, the Deadman appeared riding in on his motorcycle.
The American Badass parked the bike in front of the ring and stepped inside, glancing at AJ’s gloves. He asked Styles if he intended to leave his belongings in the ring and walk away, noting that they had unfinished business. The Undertaker then stated that it was his honor to announce Styles as the newest inductee into the 2026 WWE Hall of Fame.
The two shared a hug as the crowd erupted in “YOU DESERVE IT” chants. Styles’ family joined him in the ring, and he embraced them as his music played one final time, soaking in the moment with his loved ones by his side.
Grade: A+
Insights & Backstage Moments:
- This was an incredible send-off for a star who is beloved by the fans. The segment also made it clear that Styles isn’t going to sign with AEW after WWE retirement.
- Styles is the second inductee of the Class of 2026 WWE Hall of Fame after Stephanie McMahon.
WWE Raw 2/23 Results
- Jey Uso defeats “Original” El Grande Americano & Bronson Reed – Men’s Elimination Chamber Qualifying match
- Liv Morgan picks Stephanie Vaquer for WrestleMania
- Nattie defeats Maxxine Dupri
- Brock Lesnar issues an open challenge for WrestleMania
- Je’Von Evans pins Kofi Kingston
- Raquel Rodriguez defeated Kairi Sane & Iyo Sky – Women’s Elimination Chamber Qualifying match
- The Undertaker announces AJ Styles as the second inductee for the WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2026
Who won in the main event of WWE Raw tonight?
Raquel Rodriguez defeated Kairi Sane & Iyo Sky to win the Women’s Elimination Chamber Qualifying match and secure the final spot.
When and where will Elimination Chamber 2026 take place?
The 2026 edition is scheduled for February 28, 2026, and will take place at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois.
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Abhijit Singh is a budding sports journalist with over three years of experience in the field, and a photographer capturing stories through his lens since 2018. With a background in philosophy and political science, he brings a thoughtful, analytical edge to his reporting where every word is guided by curiosity and intent. Whether he's capturing the emotion of a moment or unpacking the deeper narratives within the game, Abhijit’s work is rooted in insight and passion. When he’s not covering sports, he’s often exploring new ideas through reading, traveling or just procrastinating.